CAPT. JAMES BOX'S 



toentiires anb tf;t|lotati0ns 



IN 



NEW AND OLD MEXICO. 



CAPT. JAMES BOX'S 



m 



NEW AND OLD MEXICO. 



BEING THE RECORD OP 



TEN YEARS OF TRAVEL AND RESEARCH, 



A GUIDE TO THE MINERAL TREASURES OP DURANGO, CHIHUAHUA, THE 

SIERRA NEVADA, (EAST SIDE.) PINALOA, AND SONORA, (PACEPIC 

SIDE,) AND THE SOUTHERN PART OP ARIZONA. 



BY CAPi. MICHAKL JAMES BOX, 

Of the Texan Rangers. 



JAMES MILLER, PUBLISHER, 



647 BROADWAY, 
1 869. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, 
By JAMES MILLER, 

In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States for the 
Southern District of New York. 



y^: 







PUBLISHERS' NOTICE 



The following work has been put to press in the absence of 
the author. Tt may be possible, therefore, that some errors of 
orthography of proper names may have occurred. If such have 
been made they will be corrected in a new and more complete 
edition of the " Notes," which will doubtless follow this first 
edition, in due time. The publishers present the work to the 
pujjlic, believing that it will prove of unusual interest and value 
to the many who are now turning eager eyes toward the vast 
regions described in the " Notes." 



. COL. BMJ, McCULLOUGH, 

THE GALLANT SOLDIER AND RANGER, 
THIS LITTLE BOOK, 

THB HBSULT 0? 

YEARS OF RESEARCH AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 

IN THE WILDS AND PA8TNHSSBS OB" 

THE NEW LAND OF PROMISE, 

IS DEDICATED, 
BY HIS OLD COMPANION IN ARMS, 

THEAUTHOR. 



€ii]\in\is. 



THE VALLEY OF THE SONORA 19 

Haciendas, 21 — Ures, 23 — Tapaury, 28 — ^Wayside To^vn3 and Places, 
24— Arispe, 26 — Chinipaa and Bacuachi, 33— The Head Waters of 
the Sonora, 38— Head "Waters of tlie San Pedro, 41— Right Fork of 
the Sonora, 44 — The Gold Diggings of Bacuachi, 4T. 



VALLEY OF THE FRONTERAS AND YAGUI RIVERS.. 49 

Ranche of Tahuichopa, 55 — Fronteras, 66 — San Bernardino, 58 — 
The Garden of Sonora, 59 — Crossing the Mountains, 62 — Babispe, 
63 — Mining 'Region near Compos, 64 — Conipo?, C5 — Road to Opo- 
Bura, 66— Oposura, 67 — Alabatter Vein of Opoaura, 68— Country be- 
tween the Oposura and Yagui Rivers, 60 — Country along the Yagui, 
72— North Side of the Mayo, 73 — On the Yagui, south from Hermo- 
Billo, 75 — Curicjo, 76— Bayoreja, 77. 

THE MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS 79 

Tepahui, 81 — Tespustete, 82— Alamos, 82— Hacienda of San Anto- 
nio, 84— Country Soiitheast of Alamos, 85— The Caiion of Baneya- 
gua, 86 — Mountain Fastnesses of the Fuerte, 87 — Mines of the 
Fuerte, 90 — Over the Sierra Madre, 92 — Urique, 94 — Copper Ores cf 
Fuerte Valley, 95 — Cliois, 99 — Sinaloa, 102 — Bayemena, 103 — 
Yucorati, 103 — Casa Vieja, 104 — Guadalupe Calvo, 105— Morelos, 
106— Batopolis, 107— The Old Indian of Santa Rita, 113- Traits of 
the Fuerte Valley, 116— Masamique Copper Mine, 118— Las Planta- 
nas and other Mines, 119— Farming Lands, 121— Fuerte, 122— The 
Country South of Fuerte, 124— The Town of Sinaloa, 126. 



10 CONTENTS. 

THE VALLEY OF THE SINALOA 127 

Trees and Plants of the Valley, 130— Gold Placers, 133— Mocorito 
and its Valley, 13T — Culiacan City, 141 — Culiacan "Valley, 144 — 
Coscla, 147 — The Mine of Guadalupe, 149— Sierra Madre, 155. 

THE VALLEYS OF NORTHWESTERN DURANGO 161 

Mine of La Kepublicana, 163 — Road to Mazatlan, 164 — San Ignacio, 
166— Benadillo, 168— Port of Mazatlan, 169— Native Trees and Birds, 
171— Old Mazatlan, 173— San Sebastian, 174— Agua Caliente, 174— 
Copala, 176— The Sierra Madre, 179— City of Durango, 185. 

DURANGO, CHIHUAHUA, AND THE ROUTES TO THE 

PACIFIC 191 

A Trip to the Sierra Madre, 193 — San Fernando, 195 — San Juan, 195 
— Morelos, 196 — San Juan de Sabina, 197 — Monclova, 199 — Parras, 
203 — Valley of the Cuencame, 206 — Cuencame, 208 — From Cuen- 
came to Durango, 209 — Route from Matamoras to Durango, 213 — 
Indian Chase Proposed, 216 — Changing our Route, 218 — Pinon 
Blanco, 219 — Hacienda de Manoras, 219. 

STATE OF SONORA ■ 227 

Road from El Fuerta^to Alamos, 229 — Road from Alanios to Hermo- 
sillo, 231— Yagui Valley, 285— San Marcial, 238- San Marcial Val- 
ley, 288 — Gandara's Mine, 239 — Hermosillo, 243 — Another Route to 
Hermosillo, 244— Guaymas, 247 — Road from Alamo to Guaymas by 
Santa Cruz, 249— Teuton, 250— The Gulf Coast, 257— The Pa-Pagoe 
Villages, 262— Guadalupe-Pa-Pagoe, 264— Soni, 267— Cabona, 267— 
Altar, 268— To Hermosillo again, 271— Road East from Altar, 273— 
Magdalena, 274— North Fork of San Ignacio, 276— Eastern Prong of 
San Ignacio, 277 — Road from Guaymas to Magdalena, 278— La Jav- 
alin, 283— La Maguina, 284— San Miguel de Honasitas, 285- Chupa 
Sonora, 287— Tasajera, 292— Mines around Jesus Maria, 293— Coun- 
try around Querobabi, 296— Gold Mine of the Ancients, 297— 
Description of the Amalgamation Process, 301 — Calcination of Ores, 
307— Separation of Silver from Copper, 309— Common [Smelting 
Process of Silver Ores, 312. 



CONTENTS. 11 



ARIZONA __ 315 

Road to Fort Buchanan, 324 — Fort Buchanan, 329 — Mineral Re- 
Bources of Arizona, 330. 



APPENDIX 335 

Plan of a National Pacific Railroad, 337 — Plan of a Railroad from 
Guaymas to Fuerte Valley, 341 — Road from Fuerte to Mazatlan, 341 
— The Eastern Side of the Mountains, 342. 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



I HAVE been prompted to this account of the mine- 
ral resources of Mexico, by having been, for ten years, 
the daily witness ot facts proving the great wealth 
hidden in the recesses of the Sierra Madre, and lying 
at the bottom of the rivers emptying into the gulf of 
California. Jealous to secure to my countrymen a 
more intimate knowledge of a country toward which 
English capitalists have already begun to direct their 
thoughts and endeavors, I resolved to give them the 
description, imperfect as it is, which my pretty thor- 
ough knowledge of Northern Mexico enables me to 
communicate, 

Americans have a sort of pre-emption right to those 
countries lying along their boundaries ; especially 
when, by treaties, by means of commerce, and by 
peaceably settling those provinces and developing 
their resources, they bind them to the United States 
by the strongest of ties. It will only be when we 
shall have thus taken possession of Mexico, that an 
end will be put to civil warfare within her borders, 
and her degraded population become elevated into 
prosperous, intelligent, and peace-loving citizens. 
Filibustering, which is the ill-directed effort of the 
few to grasp what ought to belong to the nation, will 

1 



14 author's peeface, 

then die a naturar death, and civil warfare be heard 
of no more. Immense benefits would arise from di- 
recting American capital into channels so remunera- 
tive and so near at hand — benefits which, in the ex- 
citement of the fierce contentions of party spirit, are 
being overlooked. 

In Mexico lies a vast region of silver, which can 
never be made to enrich Mexico as it now exists. 
What she lacks are energy and capital. These great 
wants the United States can supply— the first of these 
two requisites being her " staple commodity," and 
the latter not being " scarce." 

Mexico is only known to the world of the last half 
of the nineteenth century by its civil wars. Around 
it still lingers something of the romance of its early 
Spanish history ; and its very name brings to mind 
the high daring and indomitable spirit, the cruelty 
and avarice, mixed with a singular gallantry, of its 
conqueror, Cortez. All the more do those old legends 
haunt us, because in the present state of the country 
the evident lack of vitality forcibly recalls the first 
devastation which the rapacious Spaniards brought 
upon it, and we forget that any more prosperous age 
has intervened. 

In the early part of this century the product of the 
mines was twenty-three millions annually, and the 
commerce of the country amounted to twenty-six 
millions. What a contrast to its present impover- 
ished condition ! Now only a few of the richest 
mines are known by name ; whereas, according to 



AtJTHOB's PEEFACE. 15 

Baron Humboldt, three thousand mines were at one 
time known, a large number of which yielded richly. 
A few are still worked by companies powerful enough 
to defy the influences of civil commotions. But the 
world as yet knows little or nothing of the recesses of 
the Northern Sierra Madre, which the Spaniards had 
only begun to explore at the commencement of the 
revolutionary war, since when nothing has been done. 
The mines which they had opened were abandoned, 
partly because capital fled with them, and partly be- 
cause the natives, who had been worked under a rig- 
orous and unjust system, when the force which 
enslaved them was removed, found no bliss like that 
of idleness, and were only too happy to live on the 
bounties of nature. More latterly a few have tried to 
revive industry ; but their Mexican indolence and want 
of inventive skill are serious drawbacks to success. 
Their only tools are the rough and cumbrous ones 
handed down from past generations ; while the partial 
prosperity they might achieve with these is continually 
frustrated by the tyranny and exactions of their petty 
military chieftains. Another and even greater obsta- 
cle to enterprise are the frequent aggressions of the 
Comanches, on the eastern slope of the mountains, 
and of the still more bloody Apaches, on the western 
side. 

Thus so long have lain buried rich mines of tin, 
silver, gold, and copper. Valuable stone, costly 
woods, and a region of country well watered, rich in 
bottom lands, and which, at no distant day, I believe 



16 atjthob's preface, 

will grow cotton, sugar, rice, and coifee, have been 
kept in unproductive idleness, by the action of so 
many causes of hinderance combined, as I have men- 
tioned above. Even the grazing lands have been 
defrauded of their productiveness by the ceaseless 
depredations of the Indians, who will suffer no herd 
to roam undisturbed. The inhabitants, victims of 
such a state of affairs, are a half-civilized, half-bar- 
barous people, who, instead of making even such use 
as they might of the riches which nature has scat- 
tered so lavishly on every hand, occupy themselves 
with wrangling over the miserable shreds of past 
wealth, which, when they have grasped a portion, 
they find torn away by others as unscrupulous as 
themselves. The few rich and educated are the 
oppressors of the poorer and less favored classes, al- 
lowing them no opportunities of improvement, but, 
on the contrary, sinking more and more of them 
daily into peons, whose condition is worse than that 
of the black slaves of the Southern States. The 
examples set them by their superiors, of idleness, 
licentiousness, and all manner of profligacy, have their 
influence on the peons, who are, in every sense, almost 
utterly degraded. That retribution must follow such 
reckless ignoring of every moral duty imposed upon 
the better classes by their superior intelligence, can- 
not be doubted. Either they will yet see acted by 
the debauched people the old French drama of '93, 
or their own insolent necks must bow to the yoke of 
universal Yankee dominion. Indeed, it seems likely 



author's peeface. • lY 

enough that " Los Yankees," as they sneeringly term 
all Americans, may yet work their mines of gold and 
silver, and own their vast ranches and haciendas. 

The field of industry which I have endeavored in 
this work to show to my countrymen, will not offer 
any inducements to the adventurer, or idle man. 
Only men of capital, and men of good, hard muscle, 
and steady habits of persevering industry, need try 
their fortunes in Mexico. Those who foolishly ex- 
pect to undertake mining without an abundant 
" fund " to work with, will find themselves disap- 
pointed of their object. Neither will capital without 
experience suffice. 

To advise those who would open trade with Mexi- 
co would be useless. They must judge for them- 
selves of the probable results of any particular kind 
of commerce. I can only add the caution, that those 
who come to pursue agriculture should look carefully 
to their land titles, as well as to the advantages of a 
good location. Let emigrants go in sufficient num- 
bers to afford mutual protection ; and if they be the 
right sort of men, they cannot fail, in such a country 
and climate, to make themselves good homes in a very 
few years. M. J. B. 



THE ViiLLEY OF THE SONORA. 



THE 

VALLEY OF THE SONORA. 



HACIENDAS. 



The Sonora river has two forks or prongs, 
the right one of which bears the name of the 
main stream. The country along both sides of 
the Sonora is fertile and well cultivated. 
About three leagues from Hermosillo, is the 
farming village of El Chino (the curly), where 
wheat is raised in large quantities. One league 
further up, we come to the hacienda of La 
Cabeza del Toro^ or Bull's Head. At the 
distance of another league up the valley, is 
El Molino Viejo (the Old Mill). Passing this 
by two leagues more, we come to the very 
justly celebrated hacienda, " Topahui,^^ the 
property of a gentleman by the name of Gan- 
dara, where formerly there were nearly four 
leagues of land cultivated. This ranche em- 
ployed three hundred peons (day laborers), and 
twelve hundred harness mules in its cultiva- 

1:^ 



22 THE VALLEY OF 

tion ; and raised from twenty-five to thirty 
thousand fane gas" {sihout one bushel) of wheat, 
and sixty thousand fanegas of corn. Four 
hundred yoke of oxen were yearly fattened 
on this estate, and five hundred hogs. Such 
was " Topahui" in its days of prosperity, until 
the fortunes of war compelled its enterprising 
owner to abandon it in 1855. The peons were 
scattered, the fine herds of horses, mules, and 
cattle, driven ofi" by the soldiery, and the 
broad fields laid waste. Fortunately for the 
future, the same productive soil remains. Be- 
sides this hacienda, Gandara owned mines and 
other ranches, which all shared the fate of 
" Topahui ;" three leagues beyond which is 
one of rather less note, yet large and valuable. 
At this place I saw three sets of fine French 
burr-stones, which had been used in his mills. 
Gandara usually employed American or for- 
eign mechanics upon his mills, in making im- 
provements, and keeping them in order, and 
was noted for his hospitality to all Americans. 
Notwithstanding his losses, Gandara is still 
worth large sums of money in coin. The 
present administrator of his estates is a Ger- 
man. 



THE SONOEA. 23 

URES. 

Proceeding a few leagues farther up the 
valley, we come to Ures, the capital of Sonora. 
Here are the archives of the state. Here, also, 
resides the supreme judge, though the gover- 
nor is seldom here. The valley is very fertile 
at this place, and the town, which has a popu- 
lation of six or seven thousand, is quite lively. 
The lands in the valley, ahove and below, are 
well cultivated. Fine orchards of figs, or- 
anges, quinces, lemons, and grapes, beautifying 
the region about Ures. At this town is print- 
ed the state newspaper, " La Vox de Sonora^ 
Its editor and printer is a German, who once 
published a history of the expedition of Raous- 
set de Boulbon to Sonora. 

TAPAURY. 

Eight leagues from Ures, is a farming and 
silver-mining district. Here is the hacienda 
of Tapaury, owned by an Englishman. This 
Englishman when he arrived in Sonora was, 
in expressive Yankee parlance, " dead broke ;" 
but happening to be blest with some of this 
same Yankee genius, he went to work with a 



24: THE VALLEY OF 

will, bought a farm on credit, opened a mine 
as best he could, cut a ditch for water with his 
own hands, constructed a rude wheel to work 
an arrastra (a mill for grinding ores), brought 
the ore over little by little, and after a while 
paid for, and extended his lands. The result 
of this energetic and persevering course is 
riches, as might have been prophesied. His 
mine is now in good order, and his farm 
in a good state of cultivation. The ore of 
the mine is silver, giving an average of 
five marks to the ^'bulto," or nine hundred 
pounds. 

WAYSmE TOWNS AND PLACES. 

Eighteen leagues beyond the hacienda of 
Tapaury is a place called Molino, " the Mill." 
This is a farming community, and considerable 
grain is raised. Several flour-mills are in op- 
eration, and the population numbers one hun- 
dred. Three leagues beyond Molino is another 
small farming town called Babiacora. The 
inhabitants also follow gold-washing on the 
hillsides to eke out their small means of living. 
Beyond this, eight leagues, is ALcoNcm, or 
" Shell," a small and pretty village, on an ele- 



THE SONOEA. 25 

vated spot, overlooking Sonora river. It bears 
the traces of past prosperity ; and even now 
quite a lively trade is carried on here. Many 
old mines, once worked, are discoverable in its 
neighborhood. Six leagues farther up brings 
us to HuAPACA, another small farming vil- 
lage. At this place, whitening one whole 
league of the northern bank of the river, is a 
gold and silver mine, once worked to a con- 
siderable extent, and showing that it might still 
be made to yield large profits. Beyond this 
mine, three leagues, is Barnamichi, a place of 
three hundred souls. A few years ago a rich 
mine of gold was discovered in this neighbor- 
hood, for which the owner was offered seventy- 
five thousand dollars, which he thought proper 
to refuse. At a distance of eleven leagues on, 
is a little town called Leguaripe, where both 
farming and mining are carried on. The mines 
of Leguaripe are small. Only a month ago a 
poor man discovered a mine in an old hunting- 
ground, which was purchased of him for six 
thousand dollars — quite a comfortable fortune 
in Sonora. The mine promises to prove a rich 
one. 



6 THE VALLEY OF 

ARISPE. 

Four leagues up the valley from Leguaripe, 
is Arispe, the old capital of the state. It is 
situated in the most healthy and beautiful dis- 
trict of Sonora. Its elevated location gives it 
a commanding view of the Sonora valley and 
of the surrounding country, made picturesque 
by the extensive orchards of every variety of 
fruit. The central position of Arispe is very 
favorable, it being nearly equi-distant from the 
principal town in the state. Good roads lead 
to Guayamas and to Sta. Cruz, at the source 
of the Mayo river, w^hence the distance is 
short to Hermosillo, or Alamos. Around Aris- 
pe, far and near, are numberless mines of gold 
and silver, tin, zinc, copper and lead, and other 
metals not so well known. Some mines have 
been worked to a great depth ; others have only 
been scratched over. The present state of the 
country renders mining in the neighborhood of 
the Apaches so dangerous, that none venture 
to engage in it. Arispe is like a beleaguered 
town, the inhabitants being compelled to keep 
in-doors after nightfall, for fear of being shot 
down by the '' rascally Apaches," who are for- 
ever prowling about in the neighborhood. The 



THE SONOEA. 27 

country, already half depopulated by civil and 
Indian wars, the few remaining inhabitants 
are frightened into a state of cowardly submis- 
sion to these Indian depredations, and no long- 
er make any resistance, except by that way 
known as the '' better part of valor," i. e., a 
discreet keeping out of their way as much as 
possible. This scourge has caused the aban- 
donment of numerous mines and haciendas, 
which were undoubtedly rich properties. The 
only manner in which the country can be re- 
lieved of it, will be by keeping a large and 
efficient force at Arispe, with skirmishing par- 
ties to intercept the Indians on their robbing 
and murdering expeditions. At present, only 
large companies of men could venture to work 
the mines ; and they, under very great annoy- 
ances. 

A few severe lessons, administered by 
American soldiers, might have the effect to 
intimidate these powerful and insolent sava- 
ges ; , but the Mexicans are so well under their 
control, that now, to defy them, except in full 
force, would be a dangerous experiment. Al- 
ready the Apaches know the difference be- 
tween our soldiery and that of Mexico, and 
are not over- willing to encounter them. Let 



28 THE VALLEY OF 

them, therefore, understand that we contem- 
plate a serious exterminating warfare, and let 
the government see to it that the design is 
carried out. Such a course would open Sono- 
ra, rich in every mineral product, to American 
enterprise, and insure the gratitude of its peo- 
ple. Then Arispe might hope once more to be 
the capital of Sonora. Then her closed mines 
and deserted haciendas would echo with the 
sounds of industry, and bloom again with 
beauty. While at Arispe, I visited one house 
in which lived eight poor widows, all of whom 
had lost their husbands by the hands of the 
murderous Apaches. Arispe has once been a 
well-built town, though now considerably fall- 
en into neglect and decay. A beautiful Ala- 
meda (shaded walk), yet remains of its former 
beauties, and is now the chief boast of the 
city. 

Southeast, four leagues, is the " Babicanora" 
mine, in a rough, mountainous country. This 
is an old mine of the Spanish time. Great 
quantities of both gold and silver have been 
taken out of it. The silver is a hard ore, of fine 
metal, reduced by^quicksilver, or in furnaces 
and arrastra. The gold vein is narrow and soft. 
An old man, Dr. Jose Salagan, long administra- 



THE SONOEA. 29 

tor of this mine, related to me his experience 
with this soft gold-ore. He said his laborers 
were generally exceedingly bedaubed with the 
mud of the mines on coming out ; (the Mexican 
miners work with no other clothing on than a 
strip of cotton -cloth around the loins ;) and the 
doctor had occasion to remark, that they were 
very careful in washing themselves to save the 
dirty water in a batea. Being anxious to know 
why so much care was used, he, one day, after 
watching this process, took out his horn spoon 
and dipped up and washed the dirt at the bot- 
tom of the batea, which w^as found to contain 
an ounce of gold, of fine quality. This in- 
duced him to place a large ba^tea at the mouth 
of the mine, in which this soft mud was saved. 
Large quantities of rich ore have been taken 
from this mine. It was finally abandoned on 
account of the unsafe condition of the works, 
a want of water, and the Indian annoyances. 
But in 1852, a company of twenty-two French- 
men took possession of it. They proceeded to 
cut a tunnel at the base of the mountain, so 
as to strike the river, and open washings on a 
safe scale. They worked with energy, but 
without any great success, as they only cut 
some small threads of ore. Their tunnel is of a 



30 THE VALLEY OF 

regular or uniform size ; large enough to an- 
swer all purposes of drainage ; with carriage- 
way for ores and ruhbish, as well as a pas- 
sage for the operations. It is four Mexican 
varras (a varra is 32 inches,) in height, the 
same in width, and five hundred and fifty var- 
ras long. These Frenchmen have worked 
several mines in this vicinity, one of which is 
called " Grenadita," and yielded seven thou- 
sand dollars profit to the year. Another, 
the " St. Domingo," paid six thousand per 
year. Some of the threads, opened by the 
tunnel, yielded rich ore, but not in sufficient 
quantity to pay well. The main vein, when 
struck, is expected to produce richly. Credit 
must be bestowed upon this French company 
for their seven or eight years of persevering 
effort. I have also a tribute to pay, on my 
own behalf, for the courtesy with which I 
was treated by these gentlemen. Indeed, I 
was told that all strangers, and especially 
Americans, were hospitably entertained by 
them ; and I am proud to acknowledge the 
indebtedness for myself and friends, to these 
sons of " La Belle France." 

Four leagues from Arispe, in an eastern di- 
rection, is the mine of " Sta. Rosalia." This 



THE SONOEA. 31 

is a gold mine. The vein is visible on the 
surface for a distance of more than three 
leagues. Incredible stories are told of the 
richness of this mine. It is said to have pre- 
sented to the church of Arispe a hundred 
thousand dollars in ornaments of gold. This 
mine has been unworked for many years, and 
it will require capital to reopen it. All the 
old works are in a ruinous state, wanting 
cleaning and timbering before the ore can be 
taken out. 

Twelve leagues southeast of Arispe are the 
old reals (mining towns) of " San Juan" and 
" San Pedro." The mines here have been ex- 
tensively worked, and are in magnificent 
style. The patios (work-yards) are handsome- 
ly paved with flag-stones closely resembling 
marble. The buildings yet standing are in a 
good state of preservation ; and the substan- 
tial elegance of the mining property here 
shows that the profits must formerly have been 
very great. The nature of the works proves 
the mines to have produced amalgamation 
metals. Mines situated in a Catholic country 
would not fail to be liberal to the church. 
Large donations have been made to it by the 
benighted miners. In the '' Capilla" church 



32 THE VALLEY OF 

of Arispe are evidences both of the wealth of 
the mines and the generous contributions of 
the miners. Massive ornaments of s[old and 
silver, rudely shapen, are there in profusion. 
The Sta. Rosalia donated to the church one 
varra, or one twenty-fourth part of the mine ; 
and in the archives of the church the deed of 
donation is still preserved. 

In a mountain called '^ La Catalania," is a 
silver mine of great richness. Some former 
discoverer had apparently taken the precaution 
to cover it over, where it was visible at the 
surface ; but, as the gentlemanly Apaches live 
in that neighborhood, it had not been revisit- 
ed for the purpose of working it. An attack 
of ^ve hundred Apaches on the mines of San 
Pedro and San Juan was the cause of their 
abandonment and ruin. 

In front of Arispe, on the west side of the 
Sonora river, a small creek of fine water emp- 
ties itself Twelve leagues up this creek is 
situated the hacienda of Bmxanuche^ the lar- 
gest and finest in Sonora. Barcanuche is an 
Opata word, which in Spanish is Bonanza^ 
and in English signifies a fortunate place, or a 
windfall of fortune. This hacienda is the 
property of Dr. Pancho Perez, of Ures, and 



THE SONORA. 33 

boasts a very fruitful soil, abundant water, 
fine timber, and a beautiful location. Game, 
also, abounds in its neighborhood, deer and 
turkey being very plenty. The estate is val- 
ued at a hundred thousand dollars. 

CHINIPAS AND BACUACHT. 

Following up the Sonora river from Arispe, 
north, distant eight leagues, is Chinipas, a 
small village of Opata Indians. Along the 
road from Arispe to Chinipas, there is very- lit- 
tle farming land, as the country is mountain- 
ous, and the river runs in a narrow gorge be- 
tween the hills. The Opates are a tribe of 
Indians who live in the lower valleys of the 
mountains in this part of Sonora. They are 
peaceably disposed, and are stock-raisers and 
farmers generally. Some of them have hand- 
some small farms and good cattle. 

Following up the river, which becomes all 
the time narrower, until the traveller is forced 
to leave its bed and take to the mountains, one 
league's travel brings us to Bacuachi, a place 
destined from its situation to become of some 
importance, whenever the opening of the coun- 
try shall give an impulse to its natural ele- 



84 THE VALLEY OF 

ments of power. It is situate on a small^ 
elevated plain, on the west side of which runs 
the Sonora river, while on the east are numer- 
ous springs of water spouting out of the ground, 
which give the town an appearance of heing 
suri'ounded hy water. Hence came the Opata 
name, which signifies island. Its population, 
once amounting to three thousand, has, within 
the last fifteen years, been reduced fully two 
thirds. In the immediate vicinity of the 
town there is little arable land ; but, as the 
Sonora forks about one mile above, makins: 
wide tracts of bottom land on either branch, 
there is plenty of good farming land to produce 
the requisite amount of grains, &c. Along the 
left or north fork are fine fields of corn, wheat, 
barley, beans, and fine orchards of figs, peach- 
es, pears, pomegranates, and other fruits. 
This land is irrigated by ditches of water, the 
water being taken in an aqueduct fLY% leagues 
above. Great durability is displayed by the 
cement of this aqueduct, which is undoubtedly 
the work of the early Spaniards. At least, 
the present race know nothing of its construc- 
tion, nor have they the knowledge or enter- 
prise to have constructed such a work. 

The population of Bacuachi is continually 



THE SOKOEA. S5 

dirainisliing", owing- to the inroads of the Apa- 
ches, who have left them no stock. At the 
time of my visit there were only three milch 
cows in the town ; yet this is a fine grazing 
country, and herds of horses, mules, and 
horned cattle, used to roam at large, covering 
with life these grassy plains, now desolate. 
Remains of ranches, or stock farms, are every- 
where seen ; and yet only three horses could 
he found in all Bacuachi when I was there. 
When the inhabitants go to the fields they go 
en inasse, and sentinels are posted to give the 
warning if any Indians come in sight. Should 
such a warning be heard, the whole population 
fly instantly to their houses. The Apaches 
knowing, however, that they have nothing 
left to steal, go scornfully by to richer places 
of plunder. Should they meet a stray Bacua- 
chian, they would put an end to his fears by 
putting an end to his life, just for the " fun of 
the thing." All the water used in the houses 
is brought from the river by the women, a dis- 
tance of one hundred and fifty yards. Should 
any woman be so neglectful as to fail to bring 
water by day, there can be none in the house 
until the following day ; for, to issue out alone 
or at night, is not to be thought of. The wo- 



B6 THE VALLEY OS* 

men go out in large parties, bearing their 
water-jars of baked clay upon their heads, and 
escorted by a convoy of armed men, to procure 
the day's supply. Nothing could be more mea- 
gre or uninviting than the diet of these Mex- 
icans. Having no meat, they are compelled 
to live upon grains ; and '^ panole," or corn 
parched and ground, " esquit," parched corn, 
and *' tortillas," a sort of corn-cake, with beans 
and fruits, constitute the Mexican bill of fare. 
Frequently not a grain of salt is to be had — 
the Apaches having cut off their supply by 
attacking and robbing the convoy. At the 
time of my visit, one peck of salt brought five 
dollars. 

One hardly knows whether to feel most pity 
for the troubles, or scorn for the cowardice 
of the Mexicans. Their badly-paid, badly- 
clothed, and miserably-fed soldiery, command- 
ed by worthless officers, are wholly unable to 
engage in warfare with the powerful Apaches. 
The garrison which is kept at Bacuachi scarce- 
ly suffices to protect its one thousand inhabi- 
tants from slaughter in open daylight. Their 
fear of the savages is quite as great as that of 
the citizens, and they are as quick to run at 
the sight of one, or are careful if they shoot to 



THE SONOEA. 37 

fire into the air, for fear of consequences. 
Owing, doubtless, to the poor fare of the peo- 
ple, they resemble skeletons, with skin dried 
to their bones. I was not able to find, among 
the citizens of Bacuachi, more than one indi- 
vidual who had any fat on his person ; and I 
will venture to say that he had something 
good to eat in his house, how procured I know 
not. 

Where the left prong of the river has been 
dammed, for purposes of irrigation, on the 
south side, fronting on the blaff", is a silver 
mine of a greenistt ore, tinctured with copper. 
It is reducible by amalgamation, and has been 
but slightly worked, though to work it is easy 
and profitable, as at this place the stream 
forms a pan, being «hut in by high and precipi- 
tous banks. 

For about four miles from this place the road 
lies in the creek bed ; but, alter getting over 
this narrow pass, the country opens out into a 
fine wide valley, of good soil, mesquit timber, 
and good grass land. Up this valley, three 
leagues, is a deserted hacienda, with good 
buildings and outhouses, and all the appurte- 
nances of hacienda life. Desolated fields and 
orchards show that it has fallen a ruin before 

9. 



38 THE VALLEY OF 

the destructiveness of the Apaches. Another 
league or so farther on, the valley again nar- 
rows up, and fine groves of cottonwood and 
ash begin to appear. 

THE HEAD WATERS OF THE SONORA. 

The nriountains, which run in a general 
course north and south, are covered with tol- 
erably good pine timber, and scrubby oak 
in abundance. This oak bears very sweet 
acorns, much esteemed by the natives and In- 
dians, the latter of whom make bread of the 
flour of them mixed with grass seeds. They 
are called "Bejote dulce," and are worth three 
dollars a peck in Hermosillo. Following the 
stream for another five leagues, we pass only 
some groves of ash, or ^' fresno." This tree is 
in high repute with the Mexicans, it being 
their belief that rheumatism, or any bodily 
pains may be healed by simply carrying a 
cane of its wood. Whether their experience 
confirms their belief, I am quite unprepared to 
relate. Faith, which "works miracles," may 
accomplish the cure which their beloved fresno 
is of itself unable to perform. 

At this distance the stream has dwindled to 



THE SONORA. 39 

a mere spring-branch, and the country now 
assumes the €haracter of an elevated, rolling 
prairie, of great beauty. The climate here is 
delightful. The heats of summer are relieved 
by continuous cool breezes from the uplands. 
No insects disturbed my repose ; but game, 
such as deer, turkeys, and an occasional speci- 
men of the genus bear, gave employment to 
my watchful senses, used to be on the lookout 
for all things of a wild nature, whether tur- 
key or Apache. At this point, the branch, 
from heading west, makes a sharp elbow to- 
ward the north. Enclosed in this bend is a 
ruined hacienda, the owner of which, I learned 
afterward, was driven away by the Indians, 
after having occupied it but a short time. 
This hacienda was built for the purpose of re- 
ducing the ores from two mines, situated at the 
distance of one league from the reduction 
works. The ore of one of the mines is of sil- 
ver, and the other of galena, very pure. The 
lead was used as flux in reducing the silver, 
besides paying ten per cent, of silver in its own 
reduction. The surplus lead was disposed of 
to other mining companies, to be used in 
cleansing ores, and found a ready market as 
long as the surrounding mines were worked. 



40 THE VALLEY OF 

I considered the mines at this place as ranking 
A No. 1, both for quality and quantity of ore, 
and for facility of reduction, as well as be- 
cause the surrounding country is so well adapt- 
ed to settlement. The plains extend to the 
head waters of the San Pedro, a distance of 
twenty or thirty leagues. 

On the trail going to Sta. Cruz, distant 
twelve leagues, is another mine, called " Ca- 
nanca," which was abandoned twelve years 
ago on account of Apache depredations, its one 
hundred and fifty workmen not being able to 
protect themselves against their encroach- 
ments. This mine was worked by a Dr. Fran- 
cisco Perez, now residing at Ures, who made 
it profitable. Its ore is silver, mixed with cop- 
per and lead, and like the other mine of a sim- 
ilar ore, was easily worked on account of the 
facility for reduction by a moderate heat, and 
the different ores serving as flux for each other. 
The smelting furnaces are still standing. Near 
this mine are several other unworked mines of 
copper. About them is good farming and 
grazing land, and abundant timber for fuel. 
Indeed the country affords greater induce- 
ments to settlers than any mining district I 
have ever seen, but is overrun by the Apaches. 



THE SONOEA. 41 

A population of foreigners might, and probably 
would, soon disperse them, as will undoubtedly 
happen in a few years. 

HEAD WATERS OF THE SAN PEDRO. 

The plain which heads toward the San Pe- 
dro river, (this river heads out of the Sonora, 
but empties into the Gila,) is of a more broken 
surface, and bordered by mountains, in which 
are known to be gold placers. Here, as every 
where else, the Indians prevent their being 
mined. Eight leagues from where the waters 
rise, and on the old emigrant road to Califor- 
nia, is a ranche, now deserted, except by a 
garrison of fifteen men, who cultivate a small 
portion of the land. The soil is fine, and 
along the stream is mesquit and .cotton-wood 
timber : but, as this is on the great trail of the 
Apaches, who are always on excursions of rob- 
bery and marder, to Sonora, very little securi- 
ty could be had by small isolated parties of 
settlers. The San Pedro is a good mineral 
country, if not one of the best, and furnishes 
deer, turkey, and other wild fowl, for game. 
Seven leagues east of this ranche, (which is 
called Ranche de Sonora, and belongs to Dr. 



42 THE VALLEY OF 

Rafael Elias, of Ures, deceased, a brother of 
the Supreme Judge of the State,) is the mine 
of '' Mariquilla," once very successfully work- 
ed. Tv^o leagues to the east of, and around 
this mine, is a complete net- work of silver and 
copper mines, which were formerly reduced 
there. The houses and furnaces are still stand- 
ing at the foot of the mountain called " Ron- 
quillo." Before the Indians drove away the 
miners, these mines were worked by one Sig- 
nor Arballa ; but, for eight years, have been 
entirely abandoned. 

On the east side of the San Pedro, at a 
distance of five leagues, is the mountain of 
" Huachuco," in which is a mine of argentifer- 
ous lead, containing a fair per cent, of silver. 
This mine was anciently worked to some ex- 
tent. This same mountain is said to have 
some placers of coarse gold ; and thus runs the 
legend concerning it: A prisoner, escaped from 
the Apaches, was hiding in the Huachuco 
mountain, trying to make his way home to 
his friends. While exploring its recesses in 
this manner, he found and collected quite a 
' large amount of gold, with which he succeeded 
in reaching the settlements. But, not having 
a proper fear of the Apaches before his eyes, 



THE SONOKA. 43 

he undertook to return to the same place, was 
captured and killed ; and the exact locality of 
the placers is not known. Neither will they 
ever be, if it depends on Mexican energy and 
courage to make the discovery. 

Four leagues below the Arizona and Sonora 
line, and about half a mile from the river, on 
the east, at a place called " los Mojales," (nut 
trees,) is a mine that was discovered in 1859, 
by a party of surveyors, of the Survey of Sono- 
ra, second assistant engineer Thompson in com- 
mand. I examined and assayed the ore, find- 
ing it to be copper and silver. It is reducible 
by amalgamation, like all this class of ores. 
There is water enough here to make mining 
convenient. Smelting, which would reduce 
the ore of this mine readily, would still leave 
it in a state requiring one more operation for 
separating the copper, and involving the ex- 
pense of fluxes and fuel. I should judge this 
to be a valuable mine ; and it is upon Ameri- 
can territory. 

There are many more veins of mineral on 
the San Pedro. None, however, have yet been 
opened, and but few prospected. This mineral 
region is distant only thirty miles from Fort 
Buchanan, from which a good wagon road 



44 THE VALLEY OF 

might easily be made. Nine miles from here 
is the beautiful ranche of '' Babacomeri," de- 
serted on account of Indians ; and twelve 
leagues away is the Overland mail station of 
Dragoon Springs, to which a road could be 
opened without difficulty. Such is a brief ac- 
count of the country along the Sonora and the 
San Pedro rivers. Let us now retrace our steps 
until we come to the 

RIGHT FORK OF THE SONORA. 

One league below Bacuachi, on the south 
side of the river, close up to the bed of a dry 
creek, is a chain of abrupt mountains, running 
right up to the Sonora river. About half a 
mile from the spot where this chain intersects 
the river, is a mine of silver, of amalgamation 
ore, and but slightly worked. I did not assay 
it, but saw it tested, and was convinced it 
would pay very well. The ore is massive, of a 
dull greenish color. 

The right, or south fork of the Sonora, has 
a wide valley. About one league up it are 
extensive " Sienegas," or meadows, which af- 
ford fresh pasturage all the year roimd. Two 
leagues farther on, passing through a fine 



THE SONOEA. 45 

farming country, timbered with mesquit, we 
come to a deserted ranche, showing signs of 
having been an extensive stock and grain 
farm, with the buildings still in a fair condi- 
tion, though totally deserted. Passing this 
ranche, we find no water for four leagues ; 
yet the country is good. Coming to where 
the mountains intercept the river again, we 
find water. This chain of mountains runs 
east and west, crossing the valley. In the bed 
of the stream is a ledge of rock, forty-five feet 
in height, at the foot of which is water. As- 
cending the mountain, here due north, we find 
a silver mine, the vein running at sight up 
the mountain, in a slightly inclined direction, 
for a mile. It has been worked along some 
of its length, and at certain places to a consid- 
erable depth. Fine specimens of wiry, native 
silver, have been taken out ; but the hardness 
of the rock requires the best of tools to work 
it. I succeeded in getting out a little, almost 
without tools, assayed it, and found it to pay 
fully thirty-two per cent., a very high per- 
centage considering the weight of the ore. 
The vein is from twenty-two to twenty-six 
inches wide, and not difficult to work. From 
appearances I should judge that the last work 

2^ 



46 THE VALLEY OF 

done in it had been done by fire, as the black- 
ened walls of the works testify. It frequently 
happens that when the rock is hard, the mi- 
ners make a great fire, and when the rock is 
sufficently heated, suddenly cool it by throw- 
ing on water ; which rapid change of temper 
ature causes a portion of it to crumble. 

A little below the ledge, on the bank of a 
dry stream, is the hacienda where the smelting 
and reduction of the ore was once carried on, 
now deserted, like so many others. Eemnants 
of fine china-ware, and bones of human beings 
scattered about, tell the story of Apache on- 
slaught. This mine, which I consider one of 
the best in Sonora, is easily found. By follow- 
ing the South fork of the Sonora until stopped 
by the above-mentioned ledge of rocks, and 
proceeding a few hundred yards to the left, the 
explorer cannot fail to find this rich deposit of 
silver, which I hope some capitalist may con- 
sider it to his interest to work out. The coun- 
try around it abounds in wild fruit, — delicious 
wild cherries, bejote dulce, wild dates, and the 
grass seeds used by the Indians to make bread. 
Manganilla bushes also cover the side of the 
mountain. The timber here is oak and pine, 
producing a sweet nut, called pinores. Above 



THE SONOEA. 47 

this point the country is rough and mountain- 
ous, and infested with Indians, who make it 
their residence. 



THE GOLD DIGGINGS OF BACUACHI. 



On the south side of the river, some two 
miles distant, are placers of gold of consider- 
able interest. It is found in the edge of the 
mountains, in galches and surface diggings. 
It has been but little worked, there being no 
water nearer than the river, and the Indians 
being troublesome. About three leagues fur- 
ther southeast is a high table-land, called " Bue- 
nos Ayres," (strong wind.) From this plain, 
an extensive view of the country can be ob- 
tained, including Bacuachi. A chain of moun- 
tains bounds this plain on the southeast, in 
which is a pass, through which the wind from 
the Pacific comes rushing with astonishing 
violence, and where all the powers of air 
and tempest disport themselves. This Buenos 
Ayres is a deep gold mine ; but the water be- 
ing four leagues away, it can only be worked 
in the rainy season ; when the Mexicans with 
horn spoons and wooden bateas, wash and dig, 
making quite handsome profits. The table. 



48 THE VALLEY OF THE SONOEA. 

land is perforated by holes from sixty to 
seventy feet deep. All the dirt is auriferous, 
and bears coarse gold. Pieces weighing from 
six to seven ounces have been taken out here, 
and some lumps weighing one or two pounds ; 
but I would not be understood to say that 
they occur very frequently. However, that it 
is one of the most valuable diggings of Sonora 
I have no doubt, and could water be brought 
here in sufficient quantity, it would pay better 
than any California diggings I ever have seen. 
At this place there is very little trouble with 
the Indians. 



VALLEY OF THE 

FRONTERAS AND YAGUI RIVERS. 



THE FROITERAS, 

BRANCH OF THE YAGUI. 



After leaving Bacuachi, on the road to 
Fronteras, about seven leagues away, we 
reach a high mountain which the road as- 
cends. This is the dividing ridge between 
the Sonora and Fronteras rivers, the latter 
being the most northeastern prong of the Ya- 
gui. Before reaching the summit of the 
mountain, on the right hand is a spring of the 
purest water that ever weary and thirsty trav- 
eller hailed with delight — made doubly de- 
lightful by the grateful and refreshing shade 
that hangs above it. That this spot made a 
lasting impression on my mind, was partly 
owing to its agreeableness, and partly to the 
fact that it was here that I and a single com- 
panion celebrated " our glorious Fourth of 
July," 1854. For our dinner we had " pan- 
ole" (corn parched and ground) and "panoche" 
(the common sugar of the country). Apache 
tracks were everywhere about us, suggesting 



52 VALLEY OF THE 

the possible fate of unwary travellers ; but we 
hoped much and feared little, eating our din- 
ner in quietness. Passing over the summit of 
the mountain, a descent of three leagues on 
the other side brings us to where the moun- 
tain's foot is set in a beautiful sienega, or 
meadow. Here is the Yagui water, with a 
pretty country bordering it, of good farming 
land. Following and hugging the mountain 
on the right, after three leagues w^e come to 
the mouth of a canon turning to the southwest. 
Keeping up it some little distance we find 
water, and not far above, a mine of a more re- 
cent period than any which I had found in 
that part of Mexico. I afterward learned of 
the Fronteras people that it was discovered 
just previous to the California excitement, and 
worked for a time by a gentleman with a 
legar number of hands ; but the California 
emigration killed the enterprise, and since that 
no one has had the energy to reopen the mine, 
though it paid very well. The only imple- 
ment of mining I had about me was a butcher- 
knife, but I succeeded in entering one of the 
holes and scratching out a little ore, which was 
afterward valued at three dollars. The exca- 
vations average from four to six feet in depth, 



FRONTEEAS AKD TAGIJI EIVEES. 63 

and seem to have been opened promiscuously, 
here and there, for a mile and a half; but not 
reaching the head of the canon, which is prob- 
ably four miles in length, and sixty yards in 
width. No doubt the whole distance could 
be successfully worked. There is the advan- 
tage of lasting water, and plenty of excellent 
pine timber also, at this place. California 
miners, I have no doubt, would find gold- 
washing here very profitable ; always provided 
that they come in numbers strong enough to 
keep the scalps upon their heads. 

I followed along the spurs of the mountains 
about four leagues southwest, without discov- 
ering water. Sweet acorns and pine nuts 
were plenty. At this dista-nce I entered a dry 
creek or canon, where, from the appearance of 
the ground, the ancient Mexicans, or the Span- 
iards, must have worked extensively in the 
rainy season. The earth is almost torn open 
by the excavations which everywhere abound ; 
and that these were profitable diggings seems 
evident from the great amount of labor ex- 
pended here. Taking a northeast course, and ♦ 
turning into the valleys in search of water, I 
proceeded about four miles, when a trail of 
wild animals was struck. This trail leading: 



54 VALLEY OF THE 

up a deep canon, I followed with a watchful 
eye, for Indian tracks were not wanting along 
it, and it was narrow, dark, and dismal, with 
the shadows of the oak trees and hushes which 
overhung my head along a distance of two 
miles. Here the canon turned south into the 
mountain, and at the end of another two miles 
a small spring of Vv^ater was discovered, at 
which we slaked our thirst and took some 
rest. The hank out of which the water came 
was of a reddish dirt mixed with quartz. I 
washed out some of this dirt in my tin cup, 
and found a sediment of round, yellowish, 
grain gold in the hottom. At twenty different 
places along the canon I repeated this washing, 
and in some cups forty grains of this fine gold 
were left. With plenty of water and a com- 
mon sluice I should not fear to risk my for- 
tunes here. A man might easily take out 
seventy dollars per day. But one man would 
utterly fail for want of provisions and personal 
security from Indians. A company large 
enough to leave a party in the mines, while 
another party went out to convoy the supplies, 
could alone do anything. 



FEONTERAS AND YAGUI RIVEES. 55 

RANCHE OF TAHUICHOPA. 

Going east again, one league, we struck a 
valley, which, following east for four leagues 
more, brought us to the deserted ranche of 
Tahuichopa, or " spouts of water," from two 
Opata words : Tahui, abundant^ and Chopa, 
water-spout. The Fronteras river heads here, 
the water spouting out of the ground in jets as 
large as a man's arm, and in so many places 
as to readily form a creek of running water. 
The ranche of Tahuichopa is a beautiful farm, 
and one of the most extensive and valuable in 
Northern Sonora. There is plenty of land here 
capable of irrigation, and plenty of water to 
irrigate it. The Tahuichopa horses were once 
celebrated for beauty of form, speed, and en- 
durance, and their reputation is still high. In 
this part of Sonora large '' caballadas" of them 
were kept, in which the owners took great 
pride. Now, the remnants of these fine cabal- 
ladas roam the plains and valleys at will, and 
so wild that even the Indians cannot catch 
them. Of the large herds of horned cattle 
which once grazed here, one solitary old bull 
was waking the echoes of the valley in notes 
which seemed to regret that the Apaches 



56 VALLEY OF THE 

had not eaten him along with his com- 
panions. 

FRONTERAS. 

Travelling north from the ranche, and fol- 
lowing the stream, we see fine land, good 
water, quite plenty for irrigation or machinery, 
and a fine grazing country. A large mountain 
turns the river out of its course, so as to cause 
it to make almost a perfect circle upon itself. 
Following this hend, we have for eight leagues 
excellent grazing land on both sides of the 
river, and but little timber. The soil is a rich 
black loam, very difierent from the soil of the 
Sonora valley. The stream runs narrow and 
swift, unlike the sluggish waters of the Sonora 
river. Fronteras has a Mexican garrison, a 
fort, and a population of — citizens and soldiers 
toofether — some fifteen hundred. It was for- 
merly a farming town, but as no farming can 
be carried on without a guard of soldiers, very 
little is now done. The danger of losing their 
cattle makes the people careless about having 
any, and they are exceedingly poor, though 
they raise some wheat, fruit, and vegetables. 

Several years ago, a Mexican commander, of 
Spanish descent, Antonio Narbon, acquired 



FEONTEEAS AND YAGUI EIVEES. 57 

considerable renown by his successful forays 
against the Indians. While he commanded, 
some protection was afforded the inhabitants, 
and the Indians wf re stayed in their depreda- 
tions for several years. Since his death, deso- 
lation and ruin have come rapidly upon this 
part of the country. His residence, which 
was very magnificent, was south from Fronte- 
ras, on another fork of the Fronteras river ; 
and the place is still one of much interest. 
The best wheat that ever I saw was raised 
here. There is also a very extensive peach- 
orchard on the farm. Narbon had adopted an 
Apache boy, by whom he was afterward de- 
coyed to a rendezvous of the tribe, and cruelly 
given up to be murdered. His widow and son 
now live at Ures. 

Fronteras is on a bluff on the west side of 
the river, where is the fort also. Standing in 
the fort, and looking toward the sunrise, at the 
line where his rays strike on a mountain, you 
may look straight into the mouth of a miae, 
distant about one league, the road to it being 
circuitous. The hacienda belonging to this 
mine is on the river; and from the large 
amount of scoria or slags, and from the large 
size of the slags, the ore must have been easily 



58 VALLEY OF THE 

smelted. In the mine, v/hich has been ex- 
tensively worked inside, I found the tools of 
the last laborers there, just as they were left 
at the time of their general massacre by the 
Indians. Since that event no attempt to work 
the mine has been made by the superstitious 
inhabitants, who no longer have any spirit to 
resist their sure and deadly foes. The Indians 
had left the Fronteras people one cow and 
calf, which was kept within doors, and a few 
horses, carefully guarded ; for, when they can- 
not be taken, they are killed by some lurking 
thief of an Apache. There are plenty of fine 
hogs here, which animal the Indians will not 
steal. Fronteras raises peaches in abundance, 
besides some other fruits; and mesquit and 
cotton- wood timber. 

SAN BERNARDINO. 

Following up the course of the river, due 
north, for about eight leagues we traverse 
well watered and beautiful land, whose sole 
owners at present are the Apaches, an ac- 
quaintance with whom it is desirable to avoid. 
Turning east from hence, and travelling ten 
leagues, still following the river, which flows 



FRONTEEAS AND TAGUI EIVEES. 59 

through a fertile country, we come to its junc- 
tion with the San Bernardino, which here inter- 
sects it. Before arriving at the junction, we 
pass the once productive but now abandoned 
ranche of Hueparerachi^ which still has some 
remains of fine peach, and other orchards. 
Now keeping in the course of the San Bernar- 
dino, which cuts the spurs of the mountains 
from the north, ten leagues more of travel 
brings us to the old town and presidio of San 
Bernardino, situate on the old emigrant road 
to California, now totally deserted. Here are 
the head waters of Yagui river ; and the 
old town was the trading post of the Indians 
in the time of its population. Its trade must 
have been considerable at one time. There is 
plenty of good farming-land in the neighbor- 
hood, but the water is rather alkaline. This 
place is but a half mile from the American 
line of Arizona. 

THE GARDEN OF SONORA. 

Beturning toward the south of Sonora, four 
leagues on our way, we find the ranche oiHano- 
rerachi at a point of the mountains on the east. 
It is still in pretty good repair, the building 



60 VALLEY OF THE 

standing well, and is a valuable property. Land 
and water good. Years ago the fences were 
set with cotton- wood sticks, which are now 
grown to fine large trees. Once more at the 
junction of the Fronteras and San Bernardino, 
we remark that the land is arable and pro- 
ductive. There are also extensive cane-brakes 
near the junction, where we cross into the 
Yagui valley, the river being quite a bold 
stream, though the water sinks again at a 
short distance below. The valley of the 
Yagui is about three leagues wide, and 
twenty in length, and is, as I have called it, 
the " Garden of North Sonora," being prefer- 
able in my eyes to anything I saw in that 
State. It affords the richest possible soil, as 
well as good grass plains. In some places are 
a thousand acres of soil ready for planting, 
with no grass or weeds, and not requiring even 
a plough ! Here a poor man, with seeds, and a 
knife to sharpen a stick, could put in a crop 
and be sure of a fine harvest, without the ex- 
pense of irrigation, or even of farming imple- 
ments. There is no water visible anywhere, 
but wherever I made a hole the length of a 
man's arm the water came up plentifully, good 
and cool. I found three places, where, at a 



FRONTERAS ANp YAGUI RIVERS. 61 

remote period there had been settlements, but 
none recent ; and there was nothing to interest 
the eye except the naked beauty of Nature 
herself, who has alternated fields, canebrakes, 
and grassy plains, in the most admirable order. 
The valley is bordered by rough and inacces- 
sible mountains. It is a garden walled com- 
pletely about, out of which there is but one 
gate to pass. In this little paradise live the 
Apaches, and should they choose to keep closed 
the gate, in vain would any " outside barba- 
rian" attempt to gain an entrance. 

This valley runs to the southeast, ending 
where it meets the main Yagui river, coming 
from the mountains on the east, which sepa- 
rates Chihuahua from Sonora. Should Ame- 
ricans ever get possession of this charming 
valley, every acre will be worth a golden dou- 
ble eagle, at the very lowest, for purposes of 
farming. This land is as superior to the Ohio 
and Mississippi valley lands, as they are supe- 
rior to any common lands. There is no kind of 
grain, vegetable, or cane, which it will not 
grow ; and the steady young farmer, who 
shall come to this valley, will find his fortune 
in it. The opening of the mineral regions will 
place a high value upon all the products of the 

3 



62 VALLEY OF THE 

fields, as there will then be a large population 
who must eat, hut cannot grow provisions. 
Live stock will he easily raised, and cat- 
tle flesh will have an additional fine flavor 
firom eating a shruh which grows in the moun- 
tains, and which gives an unusually delicious 
taste to the flesh of animals. 

CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS. 

The bed of the main Yagui river, where we 
struck it, was about eighty feet wide. It was, 
however, in the rainy season, and the water 
stood in holes, running merely to clear itself. 
We found it full of fish of a very pleasant 
flavor, on which we feasted for several days, 
using sticks to kill them. The country here is 
of the most mountainous character — perfectly 
iron bound, with the exception of the above 
mentioned valley. Mountains are piled on 
mountains of every conceivable shape, and ex- 
ceedingly rough and precipitous, extending to 
the very bed of the river. They are also quite 
barren, being nothing but rocks above rocks. 
Ascending a mountain from here is a trail, 
probably Indian, ranging in a southerly direc- 
tion. Following this, we expected to reach the 



FEONTEKAS A^D YAGUI KIVEE8. 63 

summit ; but, four miles of climbing brought us 
upon an unforeseen difficulty, being nothing 
less than a deep, nearly perpendicular cut, in- 
tercepting our progress. We descended, slid- 
ing on hands and feet to the bottom, which 
was the bed of a dry creek, coming from the 
south, and extending to the river which we 
had just left. We followed this channel for 
two days, climbing ledges, getting over falls, 
and many times in danger of losing our lives, 
before we came to its head. Being in great 
want of water, we turned here in an easterly 
direction in the hope of finding it, travelling 
through a country too rough and wild for de- 
scription. On the third day a shower of rain 
relieved our thirst, or we must have died of it, 
in a few hours more. Another three days' 
travel through the same sort of country 
(which from the recent rain afforded us water 
enough for our wants), and we had arrived 
at Babispe, having seen nothing of interest in 
the way of minerals, except one copper mine 
entirely un worked. 

BABISPE. 

At this place another branch of the Yagui 
river forms a junction. Babispe makes some 



64 VALLEY OF THE 

pretensions to be a garrisoned town, though 
the ground of its pretensions is small enough ; 
Frijoles, without salt, was the food I saw the 
soldiers eating ; yet there are some small spots 
of farming land about it. May I never see 
Babispe again ! It is principally remarkable 
for the thick necks, " bouches," of its inhabi- 
tants, owing, some say, to the water of the 
country; but, as I believe, to incestuous in- 
termarriage among the people. The Babis- 
peans subsist upon fish and fruit chiefly, and 
enjoy the bliss of extremest ignorance. Some 
silver mining has been carried on there on a 
very small scale, as it must be, by a people 
who scarcely ever tasted beef 

MINING REGION NEAR COMPOS. 

Leaving Babispe without regret, I travelled 
south again across a country without a single 
acre of arable land, rough, mountainous, and 
poorly timbered with scrubby oak. Seven 
leagues away I found large copper mines, cov- 
ering a considerable tract of country, and having 
an ore of almost pure copper. These mines are 
near the head waters of the Oposura river, an- 
other branch of the Yagui, and about four 



FRONTEEAS AND YAGUI EIYEES. 65 

leagues from Compos. A large, travelled road 
passes close to them, being the thoroughfare 
of the Indians, who go this road every full 
moon to drive away large caballadas from the 
fine grazing districts of Sonora; for the Sonoren- 
ses Rancheros are only raising stock for their 
friends, the Apaches. This road looked as 
well travelled as the Overland Mail Route, the 
green bushes along the roadside being covered 
with dust. 

Three leagues from here, on the river above 
Compos, is a ranche called TOjo de Agua, or 
" Water-eye." The river first forms into a 
stream at this place, rising out of the ground 
here, whence the name. It is a ranche of 
some extent, but small population. A portion 
of the land is arable ; and there is mesquit 
timber in the valley, and pine on the moun- 
tains. 

COMPOS. 

Following down the stream, we next come 
to Compos, a beautiful place, with a very in- 
significant population, and no business of any 
importance. Once this place was more active, 
and had five times as many people in it ; but 
now houses and churches are alike decayed 



66 VALLEY OF THE 

and sorry-looking with the inhabitants. It has 
soiije little farming land, but its chief interests 
are in the mines. 

ROAD TO OPOSURA. 

Three leagues southwest of Compos, on the 
dividing ridge between the Sonora and Oposu- 
ra waters, and on the bank of the latter, is one 
of the most extensively- worked mines in So- 
nora. Entering at one of the openings, you 
may wander inside as long as your inclination 
lasts, but cannot explore in several days its 
numerous layers, galleries, pits, shafts, and 
chambers. It was worked with great system 
and regularity, which shows that the ore must 
have been abundant and easy of abstraction. 
It is a silver and lead ore, easy of reduction, 
and there is plenty of it left for future miners 
with capital enough to work it thoroughly. 
The pillars are yet standing, as well as the 
walls and roof. The country about it affords 
good facilities in the way of wood and water, 
though the former is not abundant. Three 
leagues further down the stream is a ranche 
where I found very good improvements, and 
the first stock I had seen in the country. Even 
here it is not regarded altogether safe to raise 



FEONTERAS AND YAGUI EIVER8. 67 

cattle, which are not permitted to stray away 
from the ranche. The valley here is narrow, 
and the quantity of farming land small, and 
hemmed in hy mountains. Two miles farther 
down, in a bend of the rivea*, are some small 
farms, with a little stock on them, belonging 
to the Opata Indians. From this point the 
road leaves the river, which flows south, and 
takes you four leagues over the mountains to 
Oposura, in an easterly direction. The whole 
length of the road is lined with crosses, show- 
ing how many victims the Indians have 
slaughtered along its rugged way. 

OPOSURA. 

The traveller does not see Oposura until, by 
a sole and narrow gap in the mountains just 
above, he enters it. The view from this height 
is very pretty ; and no one could desire a more 
retired spot for a residence. He who lives in 
Oposura has, to all intents and purposes, re- 
nounced the world, even if he cannot get rid 
of "the flesh and the devil." The inhabit- 
ants live by agriculture, and some small trade 
amonof themselves. Yet the town numbers 
about three thousand souls, and when the 



68 VALLEY OF THE 

mines were worked above and around it, was 
quite a lively place. Figs are abundant at 
Oposura. The silver and gold mines of " San 
Pedro" and '' San Juan" spoken of before, are 
only five or six leagues distant. The moun- 
tains abound in valuable rock and stone. 



ALABASTER VEIN OF OPOSURA. 

Southeast, between two or three leagues, is 
a quarry of variegated alabaster, very exten- 
sive and abundant. Some of this alabaster is 
of a deep yellow color, while other portions are 
of finely variegated hues. It is very soft 
when extracted, but hardens on exposure to 
the air, and takes a fine polish. It is useful 
in the manufacture of many things, and is 
used by the people of Oposura for a hundred 
domestic purposes ; though they never con- 
ceived the idea of exporting any of it, or that 
it might become an article of trade. A com- 
pany could make it extremely profitable ; nor 
would it require anything more than a for- 
mality to get possession. At Oposura is a very 
fine ditch, made with hydraulic cement, for the 
making of which an Opata Indian gave me 
the receipt. It is a secret lost to the present 



FEONTEEAS AND YAGUI RIVEES. 69 

race of Mexicans ; yet there is no doubt but 
all the very durable works of the Spaniards 
were made with this cement. It is composed 
of clay, sand, and lime finely pulverized and 
sifted, and mixed with a solution of the gummy 
substance which is extracted from a plant 
called " Sama." This mortar will dry without 
cracking, and take a good polish, as well as 
harden in water. Its durability is very great. 
The finer the materials are made by pulveri- 
zation, the better the cement. The Sama is a 
parasitic plant of the country, with the baidc 
of which the natives tie the palm leaves or 
grass upon the roofs of their houses, or make 
other fastenings. It is easily obtained, very 
abundant, and if a demand for it were created, 
might be made quite an article of export. It 
is more abundant in Sinaloa than Sonora. 

COUNTRY BETWEEN THE OPOSURA AND YAGUI 

RIVERS. 

Leaving Oposura, I travelled about two 
miles at the foot of the mountains, toward the 
south, before re-crossing. Four leagues of 
scrambling, crossing over ravines and gulleys, 
and scaling some very steep rocks, brought me 

3^ 



To VALLEY OF THE 

to the summit. Here I found a beautiful 
table-land of three or four leagues in extent, 
watered by small streams, and timbered over 
with oak and pine. There is good grass, also, 
and the soil is a rich loam. Altogether it is a 
most romantic and beautiful spot, and its per- 
fect seclusion adds greatly to its charm. The 
abrupt descent on either side, the distance to 
Oposura, the nearest town, and the extensive 
views of the surrounding country, produce a 
very novel effect upon the beholder. The cli- 
mate at this elevation is cool and healthy. 
The heats of summer are alleviated by the 
breezes which blow constantly over it; and 
altogether it forms an agreeable contrast to the 
uncongenial region around it. A few delight- 
ful farms might be made here, and doubtless 
will be made, when the mines about it are 
once more worked, or opened in new places. 

Proceeding down the mountain, over a very 
rugged country, cut up by gulleys, ravines, and 
deep canons, I passed a place of little impor- 
tance, called Mat APE, around which are several 
deserted mines. Continuing westwardly, down 
to the foot of the mountains, on one of the 
spurs, I came to the mine of " Las Cruces," 
worked by a French company. It is a silver 



FRONTEKAS AND YAGTH EIVEKS. 71 

mine, and the ore reducible by smelting. 
Three furnaces were then in operation, yet the 
profits, though safe, were not very consider- 
able. The mine of "Las Cruces" is five 
leagues from Topahui, southeast. 

Leaving Las Cruces, and keeping the same 
direction, hugging the mountain all the way, 
I came to an old mission, three leagues dis- 
tant. The next eight leagues were over a fine 
country, of good land, and good mesquit tim- 
ber, but no water. Some detached mountains 
were seen toward the west, before I arrived at 
Tecoloti, a stock farm of some extent. Here 
was plenty of water, for this is the head of the 
San Marcial river. Here, too, is some fine 
land for farming. From here I travelled, due 
east, to another ranche, very old, and, though 
rich and valuable, useless on account of the 
Indians. This ranche is ten leagues west of 
San Jose de los Pinos, on the same stream ; 
and due east from this farm is the '^ Mazatlan," 
a prominent mountain, celebrated as having 
in it a very valuable silver mine. As the 
Apaches are always to be found there, it has 
not been examined. Only a large party could 
venture to make an excursion to it. 



72 VALLEY OF THE 

COUNTRY ALONG THE YAGUI. 

From the Sierra de Mazatlan, a day's travel 
brings us to the Yagui river, which is here a 
large, hold stream. In the valley, before 
reaching it, are, according to all Mexican 
accounts, some rich placers of gold. A few 
leagues above, and below the junction of the 
Oposura with the Yagui, is the town of Soyope, 
a small trading post. The mines there once 
gave the place a considerable reputation ; but 
they are now abandoned, and there are only a 
few Inhabitants, of mixed blood, remaining. 

Twelve leagues above, on the south side of 
the river, are some small farms of the Opatas 
and Nacouris. On this side, also, are several 
old mines. The Real of San Xavier is the most 
important, on account of its silver mines, which 
are still extensively worked. The ore is of sil- 
ver, reduced by amalgamation. The fact that 
they are worked at all in this country, where 
communication is almost cut off by the In- 
dians, is a sufficient proof of their value. It 
is here that the farmers of San Marcial and 
the Lower Yagui come when they want to 
'' make a raise." 

Farther east, toward Chihuahua, and where 



FRONTERAS AND YAGUI RIVERS. 73 

the most easterly branch of the Yagui forms a 
junction, is a town called La Junta. Its pres- 
ent population is only a few hundreds, not- 
withstanding it must formerly have had seve- 
ral thousands. Its mines are now all under 
water or in a ruinous condition, having been 
abandoned since the Spanish evacuation of the 
country. This branch of the Yagui has, to- 
ward its head, in Chihuahua, a rich copper 
mine, " Cobre Grande," once worked exten- 
sively, and still productive. It was worked 
by Mexicans only, and must have afforded 
great profits, since to find a market the copper 
had to be carried, for more than fifty years, as 
far as the city of Mexico, and upon pack mules 
a portion of that distance. It sold there as 
high as fifty dollars a hundred pounds, and 
could not satisfy the demand at that price. 

NORTH SmE OF THE MAYO. 

The country between the Yagui and Mayo 
rivers is high, mountainous, and wooded. 
Nearer the Mayo it is covered with impenetra- 
ble thickets of prickly bushes. The timber 
and fruit trees approximate more nearly in 
character to those of Sinoloa than Son or a. 



74: VALLEY OF THE 

Mines abound, some of which have been 
worked to a great depth. All of them are 
now under water, and are left in this state 
for want of the proper machinery to drain 
them. The inhabitants are either unable or 
unwilling to undertake their restoration ; and, 
indeed, generally possess too little knowl- 
edge of modern inventions to make them 
of use. The principal feature of these mines 
is, that the deeper into the bowels of the 
earth the miners go, the purer and richer ore 
they find. In many cases the drifts are left 
with the native silver shining through every 
part of the vein. The same was remarked of 
the few which were re-opened in the Fuerte 
valley. The only one of these mines now 
worked to any extent, is that of " Los Mula- 
tos," in a high mountain of Chihuahua, but 
still on the head waters of the Mayo. This 
has been worked from time immemorial, and 
great quantities of silver have found their way 
to Alamos, and the city of Chihuahua, which 
is reached from here by way of '' Jesus Maria," 
the important mine spoken of in another 
place. 

The Mayo valley, toward its head, has very 
little land worthy of cultivation. There are, 



FRONTERAS AND YAGUI RIVERS. ; 75 

however, a few good farms, and some little 
patches cultivated by the Mayo Indians ; but 
a little corn and sugar-cane is the only pro- 
duce. There are plenty of wild fruits of the 
kinds found in Fuerte valley. Game also is 
abundant, but very difficult to obtain, as 
hunting deer up and down steep hills is rather 
an arduous exercise. 



ON THE YAGUr, SOUTH FROM HERMOSILLO. 

From San Jose de las Pinos and San Mar- 
cial I proceeded to Bonancita. From Bonan- 
cita to Coumourissa, is a distance of fifteen 
leagues of fine level road, but without settle- 
ments for the whole distance. Coumourissa is 
situated on the Yagui, near the mountains ; 
the river running from here in a southwesterly 
direction. Its population is about six hun- 
dred, half of whom are Mexicans, the remain- 
ing half Yagui Indians. A portion of the 
Mexicans are stock-raisers or farmers, and 
a few engage in commercial pursuits. The 
Indians dig a little gold out of the banks of 
the river for a scanty maintenance. 

From this place, I proceeded up the river in 
a northeast course. On its western bank I 



76 VALLEY OF THE 

saw several parties of Indians gold- washing. 
From their success, I should judge that, with 
suitable tools and machinery, it might he a 
profitable business. Fifteen leagues farther 
up, I crossed the river by the help of an 
Indian canoe, at a place where there had been 
an encampment. The Indians were friendly 
and hospitable, and gave me directions to take 
a southeasterly trail, which, however, they 
warned me was very dim. As a land -mark 
they bade me keep in sight of a remarkable 
mountain, and very high, at whose foot I was 
to arrive, after travelling eighteen leagues. 
This mountain is named " Tousimouri," or 
" the man with the hat on." It represents its 
name very faithfully, and is a most striking 
object. 

CURIEJO. 

From Tousimouri Ranche^ which is only 
an average stock farm, I kept on in the same 
direction to Los Ajos, or " Garlic Ranche," and 
from there six leagues to Curiejo. There is 
another ranche four leagues from Los Ajos, of 
the finest land, and with plenty of spring 
water, which, in the hands of a different peo- 
ple, would be a splendid property. The village 



FEONTERAS A1?D YAGri EIYEES, 7T 

of Curiejo is a farming community of about 
five hundred souls. The silver mines in the 
vicinity, also make considerable trade. 

BAYOREJA. 

Northeast, and about ten leagues distant 
from the latter place, is a very handsome vil- 
lage, of about one thousand inhabitants. The 
place is tastefully built, and the country toler- 
ably good farming country. A portion of the 
community are occupied in working its silver 
mines and gold placers. The principal draw- 
back to the gold-digging is the distance of the 
mines from water. 



THE MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 



THE 

MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 



TEPAHUI. 

Sixteen leagues from the last-mentioned 
village, took me to Tepahui. This is an old 
town, of not many inhabitants — perhaps three 
hundred — situated on the Mayo river, and peo- 
pled by Mayos Indians. 

Three leagues from here, is the hacienda of 
Ogna Caliente^ ''Hot Springs," situated on 
the southern bank of the river. It is one of 
the best houses in Sonora ; grand, and hospita- 
ble too ; as travellers, Americans especially, 
can testify. The grounds are planted with 
trees, whose deep shade furnishes coolness in 
the midst of summer. As a resort for visitors, 
this place, with its springs, might be made 
very valuable in different hands. The short 
distance from the city of Alamos gives it a very 
convenient location. It is also only one league 
from Conicariy on a bluff of the Mayo river, a 



82 MAYO AKD FtJEETE VALLEYS. 

village of four hundred inhabitants. A small 
creek makes a junction with the river at this 
villao-e, whose bottom land is one extensive 
corn-field, 

TESPUSTETE. 

From Agua Caliente to this place, is five 
leagues east. '' Tespustete," signifies what in 
English would be called the " blossom of ores," 
a black, shining, heavy substance, indicating 
the presence of ores. This is a ranche owned 
by the Sonora capitalist and usurer, Don Pas- 
cuel Gomez, the richest man of Northern Mex- 
ico ; and whose corpulency of body nearly 
equals his vast possessions. His weight is 
about three hundred pounds, the heaviest part 
of him being in the abdominal region. This 
lecherous old nlillionaire, with that impunity 
from natural and decent shame, which money 
grants a man, is actually going to marry one 
of the loveliest young girls of the Fuerte. It 
is said that he is always able to command a 
million dollars, besides his vast properties. 

ALAMOS. 

From Tespustete, I went to the Real of 
Alamos, which derives its name from its beau- 



MAYO AND FUEKTE TALLETS, 83 

tiful alameda or park of cotton- wood trees. 
It is an inland town of some considerable 
trade, notwithstanding its distance from the 
coast. It has a fine plaza, a good academy^ 
and some handsome commercial houses. The 
private residences are built in good taste ; and 
the paved streets have sidewalks of beautifully 
cut stone. The lively trade here, is made by 
the exchange of silver from the neighboring 
mines. In the neighborhood is the remarka- 
ble mountain of the " Sierra de los Frailes," or 
" the mountain of the priests." It may be seen 
from a distance of one hundred and fifty miles^ 
and looks from afar like the white steeples of 
a church. Nearer, however, it has the appear- 
ance which its name indicates, of the statues 
of two priests. One of the statues has been 
surmounted by a wooden cross, showing the 
religious feeling of the people. 

The population of Alamos is five thousand ; 
and it is known in all Sonora for the aristo- 
cratic feeling of its inhabitants. It is watered 
only by an inconsiderable creek on the south 
side of the town, on which are fine residences, 
orchards and corn-fields. 



84 MAYO Am> FUEETE VALLEYS. 

HACIENDA OF SAN ANTONIO. 

Three leagues east of Alamos, is the mining 
hacienda of Smi Antonio. The ore, which is 
quite extensively worked, is of silver, and the 
machinery of American manufacture. Three 
hundred hands, or often more, are employed 
on this hacienda. It is owned by Dr. Jose 
Maria Almada, a name that belongs to the most 
illustrious families of Alamos, His beautiful 
private residence adjoins the hacienda, which 
has also a sugar-farm, irrigated by water from 
the Alamos creek. 

The gentlemanly owner of these possessions 
is a man of liberal principles, and of more 
energy than any other in this part of the 
country. He is very friendly to foreign en- 
terprise, encouraging and protecting Ameri- | 
cans in all instances. In his own undertak- 
ings he has been eminently successful. But 
the most remarkable fact concerning him, is 
his family, which consists of seventy-two 
children, all by two wives ; the second of 
whom, and forty-two of his children, I had the 
pleasure of seeing. On their road, to church, 
attended by their servants, they looked like the 
inhabitants of a young city during an hegira. 



MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS. 85 

COUNTRY SOUTHEAST OF ALAMOS. 

From San Antonio to Labor Grande, is a 
distance of five leagues, without settlements. 
Three leagues farther on, brings us to the 
arroyo, or dry creek of Cuchiac. It is border- 
ed with a thick growth of cypress, the wood 
of which is valuable for building purposes. 
Labor Grande, or " Large Farm," is an exten- 
sive stock and grain farm. The custom in 
this country is not to reckon by the acre in 
speaking of their planting, but by the bushel. 
At this ranche they plant twenty-five bushels 
of corn and three of beans. The residence is 
large, and neatly built. There are twenty- 
four large-sized, commodious rooms, surround- 
ing a hollow square ; besides a deep verandah 
around the whole, for the comfort of coolness. 

Three leagues from here is the arroyo Sa- 
bina, or "Cypress creek," which takes its 
name from the abundance of this wood that 
borders it. The Sabina ranche is a stock 
farm, with some arable land. 

Two leagues east of this, is the Realito, a 
small place of about fifty souls, and very lit- 
tle business. From this place I proceeded to 
Bapoli, near the summit of a very high moim- 

4 



86 MAYO A1ST> FUEETE VALLEYS. 

tain, a small place, where, by irrigation, they 
raise some patches of sugar-cane. 

THE OAKON OF BANEYAGUA. 

Three leagues more from here, took me to 
the '^ Canoda of Baneyagua'^ This is a place 
of much interest. It is situated on the north 
side of a tributary to the Fuerte river, of 
about twelve miles in length. This canon of 
Baneyagua has been worked to a considerable 
extent in the time of the Spaniards ; and it is 
my opinion that it is a very valuable placer. 
For a distance of twelve miles, the hillsides 
have been perforated in many places, and 
shafts sunk and drifted. Some of the works 
are recent ; but the miners not being acquaint- 
ed with the modes of getting out the water by 
pumps and flumes, have done all their wash- 
ing in wooden bowls. The tediousness of this 
process could only be made to pay where the 
diggings were very rich. Having done what 
they could in this way, the mine is now aban- 
doned ; and its riches will probably lie under 
water until foreign enterprise has taken hold 
of it, when a fortune awaits the one who un- 
dertakes it. At the head of this canon, drift- 
ing has been done to a considerable extent. 



I 



MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS. 87 

The soil is composed of a red clay and decom- 
posed quartz. It is worked by an arrastra, 
constructed of a circular stone bed, twelve to 
fifteen feet in diameter, with a rim of stone on 
the outer edge of it. In the middle is a post, 
which supports a lever on a pivot. To this 
lever are attached two large stones, weighing 
together five hundred pounds. The dirt is 
brought here by mules, and when reduced to 
powder in the arrastra, the gold is separated by 
amalgamation with quicksilver. The stream 
furnishes an abundance of excellent cypress 
and cedar wood; but there are no saws or 
other implements to work it up. 

MOUIiTAIN FASTNESSES OF THE EUERTE. 

The mountain region of the Fuerte is so ex- 
ceedingly rough and precipitous, that no wag- 
on-road ever has been, or ever will be, made 
through it. All carriage is performed on 
mules, and a man is better off on foot than 
with an animal under him. The people of 
this country are what might be called a spe- 
cific race. They are an admixture of Spanish 
and Indian blood, like all the Mexicans, but 
the proportion of Indian blood predominates. 
Living so remote from civilization, they have 



88 MAYO AIJD FUERTE VALLEYS. 

returned to man's natural estate, and assimi- 
late to the probable condition of Adam in 
Eden. What we believe to be the necessaries 
of life, are quite unknown and unnecessary to 
them. Comfortable houses, clothing, beds, are 
unknown and undesired objects. Nature has 
furnished them with fruits of many descrip- 
tions, which admirably answer their wants ; 
and the only kind of agriculture they know 
anything about, is the planting of a little 
maize, which they effect by making holes in 
the ground and covering them with the hand. 
The finest corn is often raised with only this 
amount of care and labor. They choose the 
very steepest hillsides, where an animal could 
not stand. Their manner of clearing the 
land they wish to use is as singular as their 
other habits. First they proceed to cut the 
thick and thorny underbrush with the Mexi- 
can knife, niacJieta, about two feet long, and 
three or four inches wide. (This instrument 
is the principal tool as well as weapon of the 
country.) Having cat up all the underwood 
in this way, they leave it to dry for about 
seventy days before the rainy season, which 
commences in June. They then set fire to it, 
and thus char the bodies of the trees, which 
are still left standing. 



MAYO AND FUEKTE VALLEYS. 89 

Nature has lavished upon them an abun- 
dance of fruit which more favored countries 
might envy. The " pitaya," which ripens in 
May, is a delicious fruit, of a blood-red meat. 
In the time of harvesting this fruit, the natives 
leave everything else to gather and eat pitaya, 
which is to them both bread and meat, and 
withal very wholesome. In June they have a 
kind of sweet bean, called the " guamanche,'' 
whose vine makes a beautiful shade around 
the houses, giving out a very sweet odor, and 
furnishing a pleasant article of food. Los 
" igualamos" are black berries with small 
seeds, which ripen in August and make a 
delicious preserve, or are an excellent dish 
cooked. The " igualos" is a yellow fruit, of 
the size of a pear, which is ripe in October, 
and is eaten raw or cooked. The " houpper- 
as" is a small fruit resembling a black cherry, 
and very sweet, which grows very abundantly, 
on low .bushes, and is gathered by the natives 
for winter use. " Papaches" is another fruit, 
cased in a ruffled, prickly bark, and when 
peeled is the size of a large apple. It is of a 
yellowish black color, sweet, and slightly bit- 
ter. When first eaten it is very disagreeable, 
but by use grows to be much relished. The 
woods are often black with the abundance of 



90 MAYO A^D FUEETE YALLETS. 

the papaches. They stand the winter frost, and 
are not fit to be eaten until March. The 
'• iguera," or wild fig, grows here to extraordi- 
nary dimensions. It is a magnificent fruit, 
and the twisted roots run on the ground to a 
great distance. This fig yields once in June 
and again in November, the first crop being 
the largest. This fruit is considered very re- 
freshing. The proprietors of this wild-fruit 
region look upon an American as the most 
singular of objects, as indeed I suppose they 
must upon any one not like themselves, 
their want of intercourse with the world 
rendering their stock of ideas extremely 
limited. 

MINES OF THE FUERTE. 

From Baneyagua, east, to Las Garobas i^ 
three leagues. This is a small place of about 
one hundred and fifty souls. Gold and silver 
mining is done here to some extent. 

Four leagues still farther east is the Real del 
Rosario, another mining place, and owned bj 
Sign or Don Bruno Esquessa. The silver, after 
being taken out, is ground in the arrastra and 
amalgamated with quicksilver. The mine is 
situated on the side of a mountain, on the 



MAYO AND FUEKTE VALLEYS. 91 

north side of the hacienda, and the diggings 
are surface diggings, or, rather, are excavations. 
The annual revenue of this mine, in net 
profits, is seventy thousand dollars. 

Between Del Rosario and Chinipas, about 
thirty leagues north, there is nothing of inter- 
est on the road except the pine timber. Chini- 
pas is in the highest part of the mountainous 
country, and in the state of Chihuahua, the 
Sonora line being on the other side of Del 
Kosario. It is situated on the northwest prong 
of the Fuerte river, and is a small agricultural 
place of about six hundred inhabitants. A 
large amount of " panoche" is produced in this 
village, from the sugar-cane, manufactured in 
the simple manner of the country. There are 
also some gold placers in the vicinity, and a 
portion of the inhabitants are engaged in min- 
ing, or washing gold. 

" Falmarejd^ is a silver mine, distant about 
six leagues from Chinipas. It is worked by 
Don Miguel Uries, of Alamos. This mine is 
worked on a more extensive scale than any in 
this section of the country. There are twenty 
thousand ounces of silver taken out of it 
monthly. The ore is taken out by improved 
forcing machinery. Four stamps, of great ac- 
tion, are worked by water-power, which rarely 



92 MAYO AI?D FUERTE VALLEYS. 

fails in these mountains. The ore is not rich, 
but the great quantity taken out makes up for 
this. Had not improved machinery been in- 
troduced, the owner could not have realized 
yearly what he now makes monthly. After 
being ground, the ore is amalgamated, in the 
same way as in other great mines of Central 
Mexico. The roughness of the country does 
not admit of many labor-saving appliances. 
In this case the mine is three leagues from the 
hacienda, no place nearer being convenient, 
and all the ore has to be carried on pack ani- 
mals, at a large expenditure for the labor. 

OVER THE SIEERA MADRE. 

Not being able to give the correct distances 
over the mountains, I shall use the terms of 
the mountaineers in describing distances. 
From Chinipas to Jesus Maria, then, is five 
days' journey. The only thing of interest to 
the traveller over this monotonous road of 
mountain after mountain, is the desire and ex- 
pectation of arriving at some settlement at 
the end of each day's journey. This we are 
generally able to do, as the " Tarumaria" In- 
dians live in the valleys between the moun- 
tains. They are a peaceable, well-behaved 



MAYO AND FIJEKTE VALLEYS. 93 

tribe, who chiefly inhabit the central part of 
the mountain country, and raise some corn 
and fruit. Their orchards are well filled with 
a good variety of the latter. The mountains 
here are often called Tarumaria, from the 
Indians who inhabit it. 

Jesus Maria is an ancient mining place of 
some notoriety, and bears traces of having 
been once the seat of considerable trade. The 
records, too, of the district of which it is the 
capital, give fabulous accounts of the quanti- 
ties of silver taken out of its mines. These 
mines are still worked. 

Los Bajios, at a distance of fifteen leagues, 
in a southerly direction, is a place where great 
quantities of all kinds of grains are raised. 
They find a ready market in the mines of the 
surrounding country. The population of Los 
Bajios is about five hundred souls. The coun- 
try along the road to this place is well tim- 
bered, and the valleys, as before mentioned, 
inhabited by the Tarumaria Indians, who keep 
large flocks of goats and sheep, besides other 
stock. The whole country is remarkable for 
its mineral deposits, though it is unworked on 
account of the apathy of the Indians, who have 
not yet learned the value of riches. 

4^ 



94 MAYO AND FUEKTE VALLEYS. 

URIQUE. 

From Los Bajios I turned westward, cross- 
ing back over the Sierra Madre, on its highest 
summits. Found nothing remarkable except 
the lofty character of the mountain range, and 
the forests of fine timber standing useless and 
waiting for the axe. On the fifth day I ar- 
rived at Urique^ situated on the main stream 
of the Fuerte river. Urique is already, and 
constantly becoming more so, a centre of in- 
terest for the richest mines of the Sierra Madre. 
There are, all about it, mines of gold and sil- 
ver, abandoned since the Spanish times, and 
going to ruin, either because the capital to 
work them is not in the country, or because 
they are under water, and no system of drain- 
age and tunnelage is known among them, by 
which they can be reclaimed. However, two 
companies of foreigners, one American, have 
lately gone in there, and reopened two of the 
mines, and one of them has been a short time 
in operation. But there is room for twenty 
companies, with capital, to go to work in this 
vicinity. Energy and enterprise are a sort of 
" capital" as much needed as money, and ne- 
cessary to accompany it. 



MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 95 

Urique is much favored by nature with a 
most bounteous and healthy climate. Fruits 
of every description succeed well : grapes, 
granadas, aguacates, plums, figs, and apples, 
not to mention the tropical fruits, which pros- 
per in its genial soil. Its population is four 
or Rye hundred souls, mostly " GambusinosJ^ 
The Gambusinos are miners without capital, 
who work wherever they can pick up a living. 
Whenever a mine is abandoned, they flock to 
it, and tear down pillars, or other works, in 
search of a little ore, often endangering the 
safety of the mine, and making it necessary 
to go to a great expense to put it again in 
working order. However, when they get regu- 
lar work, they make very efficient hands, 
being active with the crowbar, and good 
judges of metal. 

COPPER ORES OF FUERTE VALLEY. 

Keeping a westerly course down the Fuerte 
river, we come to " San Jose," an abandoned 
silver mine. A few people live here, doing a 
little mining, and also a little farming. 

Six leagues north, again brings us to " Pie- 
dras Verde," which signifies green stone ; and 



96 MAYO AND FTJEETE VALLEYS. 

in fact the whole mountain is a mass of cop- 
per ores. This is an old copper mine, recently 
reopened. It must have been worked by the 
early Spaniards. Its present occupant and 
owner is Don Pedro Desormeau, a practical 
miner and smelter. He has sunk a shaft at 
the foot of the mountain, and discovered a 
vein of forty yards width. The ore is worked 
by the English process, that is, first roasted, 
and then smelted. The ore is a sulphate of 
copper, with antimonial copper pyrites, the 
first yielding forty per cent., and the latter 
sometimes sixty-five per cent. 

Eight leagues further on, is the mine of 
" Guasaparas," where silver mining on a small 
scale is carried on, in the simplest conceivable 
manner. Southeast from here, is the mine of 
*'Bahuerachi," a copper mine, leased and work- 
ed by J. B. Glecker & Co. This mine has, 
and still does hold out great prospects to its 
owners, who have expended some sixty thou- 
sand dollars on its improvements, in the last 
three years. The amount of ore taken out is 
two hundred cargoes per week — a cargo being 
three hundred pounds. The metal averages 
from twelve to twenty per cent. It has a 
great variety of ores, comprising all the ores of 



IklATO AND FTTEETE VALLEYS. 97 

copper, which in the smelting, flux each other. 
Seventy furnaces, built of sand -stone, are in 
continual operation. Charcoal is used as fuel. 
A reverberatory furnace, on the Lyonaise plan, 
built of English fire-brick, is used for refining 
the metal, which issues from it in a state 
nearly malleable, and in beautiful slabs of 
golden color, of from one hundred and fifty to 
two hundred pounds weight. The produce of 
this mine in the year 1857, was above five 
thousand quintals of metallic copper. The 
house of the administrator is a well-built 
stone house, having, wh at is rare in this coun- 
try, windows of glass, and chimneys. The 
surrounding country furnishes wood in abun- 
dance, pine as well as oak. About three 
hundred hands are employed here, all for- 
eigners. 

Two miles from here is the real of Bahue- 
rachi, with a population of two hundred and 
fifty souls. There are gold placers in the vi- 
cinity of the Chopotillo, and one or two mines 
of argentiferous lead at short distances. Go- 
ing down the arroya in an easterly direction, 
we pass the '' San Francisco" mines, owned 
by Pancho Arrida, a gentleman known to his 
friends by his liberality, and generally, as a 



98 MAYO AlTD FUEKTE VALLEYS. 

particular genius, who understands the chi- 
canery of Mexican law. 

Four leaofues down the same creek, is ^^ La 
Reformas," a copper mine, owned hy the same 
gentleman. It is an inconsiderable settlement. 
On the right is the mountain of " San Nico- 
las," of some celebrity for its caves of salt- 
petre, and its quarry of red sand-stone. It 
furnishes ingredients for the manufacture of 
mining powder. San Nicolas is a small farming 
villaofe on the bank of the Fuerte. The inhabi- 
tants, scarcely one hundred in number, devote 
a part of their time to washing gold out of the 
banks of the river. The gold procured here is 
very fine. 

Following the bank of the river a distance 
of about four leagues, we come to a place well 
known to the natives, by the name of " Cam- 
po Santo," or Grave-yard. It is immediately 
upon the river-bank ; and appears to be the 
ruins of what was once quite a settlement. 
There is a tradition of a pestilence having 
swept away the entire population, whence it 
obtained its name. There is a shaft in the 
side of the mountain here, showing where it 
has been worked for gold to a considerable 
extent, and the underground diggings can still 



MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS. 99 

be traced for several hundred yards. Num- 
bers of the Mayos and Tarumaria Indians 
gain a living*, as well as some Mexicans, by 
the simple bowl-washing, from these placers. 

One league more brings us to the crossing 
of the river, where, on the south side, is the 
San Thomas farm. It is almost quite shut 
in between the hills which close around it, 
leaving only two gaps. It has a foreign 
owner. As good butter is made here, as the 
celebrated '* Goshen " butter of New- York. It 
is a fine grazing farm, and has upon it, be- 
sides, a distillery for the manufacture of a 
liquor called mascal, of intoxicating powers. 
Tobacco is also raised, of an excellent quality, 
Some work is done in the neighborhood, in 
taking out lead and silver ores. 

Three leagues south, is the Mesquit Cat- 
da, or " Fallen Mesquit" ranche. And four 
leagues southwest from here is Tajadera, a 
stock and grain raising village of three hun- 
.dred inhabitants. Another four leagues brings 
us to the settlement called 

CHOIS. 

This is the chief town of the district, situa- 
ted in the valley of the stream of the same 



100 MAYO AITD FUERTE VALLEYS. 

name, which empties itself into the Fuerte 
river. Its position is very beautiful, being on 
a fine plain, with a very pretty view. Here 
I saw a sign of civilization, which I had not 
found in my four years of rambling, viz., a 
wagon. It is my conviction that Chois is, in 
the future, to become a place of great import- 
ance. It is the natural outlet for all the 
mines of that country for several hundred 
miles, and this is one of the richest mineral 
districts of Mexico. Its situation at the base 
of the mountains, its easy access by good roads 
from the farms and ranches of the lower val- 
ley, and its facility for communication with 
the Gulf, must make it an important place 
for trade as well as industry. Its present 
population is about fifteen hundred ; and its 
people and buildings show more of the char- 
acteristics of civilized living than any of the 
places which I had lately visited. The whole 
surrounding country is rich in gold placers, 
and even the spot on which Chois stands, 
furnishes gold for the washing. All the 
streams in the neighborhood show the color, 
on washing the loose soil of their banks. The 
town is about four miles from the junction of 
the stream with the Fuerte river. I travelled 



MATO AND FTJEETE VALLEYS. 101 

up the Chois a distance of four leagues to Los 
Igicelas, which derives its name from the fruit 
Iguelas, which grows here in the greatest 
abundance. There are a few j'acals, or huts of 
Mayos Indians here ; and I saw appearances 
of diggings, as well here, as along the road 
over which I had travelled. At Iguelas the 
stream makes a bend, enclosing a "mesa," or 
table-land of some twenty-five acres, which is 
perforated with shafts from fifteen to twenty 
feet in depth, where gold has been sought for. 
There is plenty of it, and the dirt all pays 
alike, but the gold is so fine that the natives 
cannot save it. If they could, they would 
make good wages even at bowl -washing, which 
is their only mode of getting the metal. With 
California improvements, I have no doubt a 
company could make these diggings profitable. 
Continuing up the stream for one league, on 
the south side of the river, I struck the " ar- 
roya Sabina,'^ or Cypress creek, which runs a 
course due north. Following it toward the 
south for four leagues, I came to a prong of the 
same stream, called Los Pillos. The name is 
derived from the fact that the rocky bed of the 
stream forms a natural reservoir of waters. 
This stream heads in an easterly direction^ 



102 MAYO AISTD FUEETE VALLEYS. 

toward a high mountain, of a north and south 
range. Ahout a mile above the junction of the 
Pillos and Cypress, I was shown, by a Mayos 
Indian, a placer in the bed of a creek, where 
he had been digging lor gold. His tools were 
a crow-bar of Brazil-wood and a horn spoon. 
With these he had taken the dust out of about 
two feet square, in one place, which contained 
gold to the amount of five dollars and sixty 
cents. It was in six small pieces, which I 
weighed. This Indian lived in a cave of the 
rocks close by. He was a runaway servant, 
in debt to his master, for which cause he was 
hiding. 

SINALOA, 

I prospected for several miles toward the 
head of Pillos creek, and found that the dirt 
would pay from ten to twenty-five cents to the 
bucket. It was my intention to have worked 
in these diggings, but the rainy season com- 
pelled me to abandon the idea, and I left, with 
the intention, however, of returning after the 
rains. But, by the time these were over, I 
was far away on my wanderings. I returned 
to the Chois stream, and struck it at the junc- 
tion of the Sabina ; then followed the Chois 



MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 103 

up toward its head for two leagues, which 
brought me to a ranche, whose name I have 
forgotten, but a large stock farm, where some 
grains also were raised. Ten leagues beyond, 
on the same course, I came to San Panteleon, 
belonging to the Signers Ibarra del Fuerte. It 
is a sugar farm, which raises, besides, corn and 
stock. From here I turned south, and trav- 
elled fifteen leagues through a country with- 
out settlements or any population whatever. 

BAYEMENA. 

This is a village of Mayos Indians, situated 
on the beautiful Bayemena creek. Its popu- 
lation is about six hundred spuls. The occu- 
pation of the people is farming, raising sugar- 
cane and corn. In the creek are traces of old 
diggings, where gold has been taken out. The 
bottoms of the creek are covered with a fine 
growth of cedars. From here it is six leagues, 
southeast, to 

YUCORATI, 

Which is a village, on a creek of the same 
name, in a very mountainous and rugged 
country. The population is a mixture of In- 



4 MAYO AND FTJEETE VALLEYS. 

dians and Mexicans, and numbers not more 
than three hundred, altogether. At this place 
are old Spanish diggings of much interest, the 
ruins of their works showing that here was 
once a large population of gold-seekers. The 
country adjacent to Yucorati is quite perfora- 
ted with shafts and drifts, in all directions. 
The bed of the creek itself has been tried in 
every conceivable manner. Both natives and 
foreigners have put their hands to the effort to 
extract the gold, but without success, on ac- 
count of the quicksands which prevent them 
getting to the ledge in which it is deposited. 
All who have experimented have the same 
opinion of the richness of the dirt. 

CASA VJEJA. 

East of Yucorati, fifteen leagues, is Casa 
Yieja, or " Old House." There is an old ranche 
here, which appears to have been for the rais- 
ing of stock and grain on an extensive scale, 
though now only a few families live on it. I 
here met an Indian of the tribe of " Onavas," 
who invited me to go on a visit to his tribe, 
living over a chain of mountains to the south- 
east.. Accepting the invitation, I accompanied 



MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 105 

my Indian friend, and found his people living 
in a valley, with a beautiful stream of water, 
fine land, and plenty of cypress and cedar tim- 
ber — altogether a charming region for farmers. 
These Indians seem.ed to be quite comfortable, 
having an abundance of corn, and pumpkins 
of a very sweet and mealy taste, besides vege- 
tables and fruits, and some stock. They 
seemed to be unwilling to have their country 
prospected, and I was unable to satisfy my 
inquiries among them. I saw, however, rich 
specimens of copper and silver ore. I found, 
also, a copper mine that had been worked in 
the Spanish times, and on the banks of the 
streams numerous places where the soil had 
been prospected in the search for gold, and in 
some places shafts in ruins. 

GUADALUPE CALVO. 

Leaving the neighborhood of the Onavas, I 
continued' in a course a little south of east, 
and arrived, after five days of arduous travel, 
over a very rough country, at " Guadalupe 
Calvo." This mine is near the line of Sinaloa 
and Chihuahua, and furnishes both gold and 
silver. It was formerly a very rich mine, and 



106 MAYO AJTO FUERTE VALLEYS. 

was in " bonanga," or full bloom, about twenty 
years ago. An English company then worked 
it, who put up extensive machinery, and at- 
tracted to the mine a large population from all 
parts of the country. Produce was carried 
there from Sinaloa and Chihuahua, and its 
exports of gold and silver bars were at that 
time very great. A large capital was required 
to work it, and when the revolutions of the 
country had frightened capital away, it went 
down. It is still worked a little, but not with 
its former rich returns, and is waiting the 
time when money and energy shall have been 
induced to re-enter the country, when it will 
again become a centre of business to quite a 
population. It is situated in the most rugged 
portion of the Sierra Madre, where mountains 
on mountains are so piled up that not an ear 
of corn is raised. 

MORELOS. 

Travelling north from this mine of Guada- 
lupe Calvo, I found the country exceeding 
rough, but showing appearances of mineral 
wealth, yet meeting nothing of interest for 
three days ; at the end of which time I came 



MAYO AJS-D FUEETE VALLEYS. 10T 

to Morelos, a mining village, having a popula- 
tion of about five hundred. Nearly all the in- 
habitants live by mining, and only a few 
patches of grain are raised. 

BATOFOLIS. 

Keeping north for two days more, and trav- 
ersing the same rough country, with no inhab- 
itants except a few hamlets of Tarumaria In- 
dians, I arrived, rather footsore, at Batopolis, 
in the state of Chihuahua. This town is the 
capital of the judicial district of Southwestern 
Chihuahua. It has a population of over one 
thousand, citizens and miners. It is here that 
all the lawsuits concerning mines are decided. 

There are numerous mines in the vicinity, 
of both gold and silver. I saw pure virgin 
silver taken out of some of these placers, and 
many of these specimens were real '^ gems," 
that would grace any museum. The mines 
in this region are extensive enough to give 
employment to all the surplus capital in the 
United States. None of them appear to have 
been recently worked, and probably belonged 
to the time when this country was called New- 
Spain, and governed by viceroys. Their rich- 



108 MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS, 

ness is self-evident, when Mexicans, with their 
proverbial awkwardness and slowness, are 
monthly sending mule-loads of silver to the 
mint at Chihuahua. 

Batopolis is on the Fuerte river. Its mines 
are found on either side of the stream. In 
the vicinity are some small farms, and some 
stock. The mules of that region are remark- 
able for docility, endurance and sure-footed- 
ness. Both pine and oak are abundant, and 
the timber is of a good quality. 

Turning south again, five leagues, I reached 
the Du7'asno, or Peach farm, situated on a 
^^ mesa," or small table-land. It is owned by 
Don Francisco Yinaigree, a large land and 
stock owner, and miner. The mine this gen- 
tleman is working is one of the richest in Bat- 
opolis, and it was from here that some of the fin- 
est specimens mentioned above, were brought. 

From this ranche, I kept on the same course 
four leagues, to the Mission of the Tai'urna- 
rias, on the Fuerte river. The Mission is own- 
ed by the clergy, and kept for the education of 
the Indians in the Catholic faith. There is 
quite a large village of Indians at the mission, 
who raise grain and fruit, and keep large herds 
of cattle, sheep, and goats. 



MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS. 109 

Three leagues farther south, I came to Real- 
ito, a mining village of about two hundred 
people. The mines here are of silver. One 
league from the Realito is the famous " Mount 
Serat " mine, operated now by Dr. Don Juan 
Migloria. Its elevation on a high mountain 
makes it a very prominent object, a sort of 
sign-post in those mountains of mountains. 
Mount Serat has been extensively worked, and 
all around it, in the mountains, shafts have 
been sunk and drifts worked out. It is still 
worked on a small scale, bat for want of 
means, as in so many cases, the operations are 
quite limited, and the owner is unable to get 
at the heart of the hills. 

The Realito is filled with a transient popu- 
lation, of the worst description, being miners 
from other places, driven away for bad con- 
duct ; broken-down gamblers come here to 
make a raise, while criminals from every part 
of the country congregate here, because there 
are so many miners close together, where they 
can pick up an easy living by a little occa- 
sional work. Only two of the citizens pretend 
to any respectability ; and, altogether, it is not 
just the sort of place for a man with money, 
or an honest man any way, to trust himself 

5 



110 MAYO AND FTJEKTE VALLEYS. 

I should advise those who go there with hon- 
orable intentions, to go in parties large enough 
to insure their own safety ; as the Apaches are 
not much more to be dreaded than this sort of 
human scum of the Realito. It would be a 
great providence if some pestilence could 
carry off these pests of good society. 

I give here the names of some of the most 
prominent mines in this neighborhood : '' Totos 
Santos," or "All Saints" mine, "San Jose," 
and " Sta. Catherina." I remained in this 
vicinity about three weeks. While here, I 
witnessed an instance of remarkable luck. A 
man from Morelos, who had lost all he had 
by drinking and gambling, and was in debt 
besides to the amount of five hundred dollars, 
came here. He had never worked a day in 
his life, but the fear of being made a peon of, 
for debt, made him go to work for the first 
time. He began at an old shaft that had not, 
probably, been worked for forty years, which 
I saw with my own eyes. For several days 
he was unsuccessful, but at the end of the 
eleventh day had taken out five hundred dol- 
lars in silver ore, of first-class metal. This 
was excellent luck. But, not knowing what 
to do with it, to secure it from the thieving, 



MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS. Ill 

hungry hordes about him, and having no 
way of secreting it, he went to the justice, 
who promised to take care of it for him. In 
the settlement, however, the justice contrived 
to swindle him out of the largest portion of it. 
And this was Mexican honor. I do not know 
whether the man was encouraged by his luck 
to persevere ; or discouraged by the justice he 
met, from further effort. 

From the Realito, down the Fuerte river for 
two leagues, I travelled over a road of the 
most dangerous description. The mountains 
close right down to the river, so as to leave 
scarcely a foothold for animals, and the wa- 
ters being high, I had to pass over smooth, 
slippery rocks, with the abrupt mountain wall 
on one side and the foaming river on the 
other. It is a formidable pass, and not a few 
animals are precipitated down its rocky side 
into the river. 

At the end of the two leagues I came to 
some hot springs, close to the bank of the 
Fuerte. Another mile below is the mouth of 
a small creek called Fotrero, where there are 
a few families living, and the bottom land is 
planted with a few patches of corn. 

Following the river again, over the same 



112 MA.VO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 

kind of rugged road, I reached the arroya of 
Los Cueros, which is the dividing line between 
Sinaloa and Chihuahua. Turning up the 
creek to the Real of Los Cueros^ or " village 
of hardships," I found the roughness of the 
country excuse for this translation, though the 
literal one is " The Hides." The small popu- 
lation is confined mostly to the banks of the 
creek. Kuins show that a large population 
once dwelt here, and worked extensively in the 
silver mines of this neighborhood. The leads 
of these mines are mostly small threads of 
silver, the threads running in all directions. 

The way out of this Real is by climbing a 
high mountain, in a zigzag course, and fol- 
lowing, when you get to the top, the high, 
narrow ridges, for three miles, in almost mo- 
mentary danger of falling, on either side. The 
descent is about four miles to the banks of an 
arroya, along the windings of which is cut a 
path on the edge of the rocks, which gives the 
smallest possible space for a pack animal to 
pass. This arroya is called " De los Frances- 
cas," which is also the name of a mine upon 
its bank, said to have been once worked by a 
foreign company, probably French, as the 
name seems to signify. There are the remains 



MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS. 113 

of some decayed or ruined buildings, and traces 
of forcing works. 

Passing from here, over a mountain as high 
and difficult to surmount as the one on the 
road from Los Cueros, and reaching the bottom, 
I found myself on another creek, the arroya de 
Castro. It is a beautiful stream of water, 
running southeast, and has a ranche for stock- 
raising at this place. A league below is a 
saltpetre cave, worked by the Signers Ibarra, 
of Fuerte. 

Following the stream down, and crossing 
and recrossing with great difficulty, at the 
distance of another league I came to the ruins 
of a village, where there seemed, from the ex- 
cavations, to have been gold-diggings covering 
quite an extent of country. A few Mayos In- 
dians were packing dirt and washing it in 
their primitive fashion. 

THE OLD INDIAN OF SANTA RITA. 

From this place I followed the stream still 
down, another two leagues, sometimes on the 
bank, sometimes in the bed of the stream, and 
sometimes on the bluffs, to Santa Rita. This 
name is a misnomer, and should have been 



114 MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 

Botany Bay, as it is an entirely suitable place 
for state prisoners, there being hardly a way in 
and nearly none out. There is, however, a 
copper and silver mine whitening a mile of its 
rough sides. This mine has created some ex- 
citement in Sinaloa, and also in the United 
States, among some individuals. As to its 
richness, I can say nothing. It appeared to 
me like a great mass of greenish ore, of hut 
little value. 

I remained at Santa Bita four days, fearing 
the probable fate which would befall me if I 
tried to escape. During my stay I formed an 
acquaintance with an old Mayos Indian, who 
was probably eighty years of age. He spoke 
Spanish sufficiently well to converse under- 
standingly, and informed me that he had lived 
in that place for more than sixty years, raising 
a large family there. I interrogated him as to 
his reasons for choosing such an out-of-the- 
way place of abode, so perfectly repulsive and 
God-forsaken. He replied that, " believing me 
to be a good man, he would confide to me his 
secret motive. Although very poor, and hav- 
ing a large family, he had, he said, a place to 
go to raise a little of the needful, when his 
circumstances required it. After a little talk. 



MAYO ANt> FUEETE VALLEYS. 115 

he proposed to me to go and look at his bank. 
I accompanied him a distance of three miles, 
over a way filled with obstructions, having to 
make the last three hundred yards by swing- 
ing ourselves on shrubs and anything within 
reach which would sustain our weight. On 
reaching the spot which he intended to show 
me, I saw the points of some quartz rocks and 
small leads of ore. Examining it, I found it 
to be gold, which in some places was quite 
visible. There had been some slender at. 
tempts at excavation, made no doubt by him 
self, as he told me that himself and wife and 
sons sometimes worked here to get a little 
gold. I confessed that, although his bank was 
not easily broken^ I should much prefer taking 
my chances where there were no such depos- 
its, to living here ; whereupon we returned to 
Santa Rita. This unfortunate spot is not 
blest with sunshine until nine o'clock in the 
morning, and is again deprived of it at three 
in the afternoon. Neither has it a level place 
to walk, unless it be in the bed of the creek ; 
all is steep mountain-sides. 



116 MAYO AND rUEKTE VALLEYS. 

TEAITS OF THE FUERTE VALLEY. 

Among the shrubs and plants of that section 
of country is the " Yerba de Flecha," a very- 
poisonous plant, whose name signifies its an- 
cient use of poisoning arrows. I have seen 
from my own experience that it is very deadly 
and quick. If known, it would become an 
article of commerce. There is, also, the " Ase- 
badilla," for which I know no translation, but 
it is used in healing the cuts, bruises, or sores 
of animals, and as a purgative acts as effectu- 
ally as calomel. From its abundance, it costs 
nothing, though a valuable medicine. 

South from Santa Rita, four leagues, keeping 
to the southwest of the arroya de Castro, and 
one lea(Tue from this stream, is the hacienda 
*' de I'Esponjada," or " Spongy mountain." 
The mountain from which the hacienda takes 
its name, is composed of a loose, spongy dirt, 
which, when it rains, washes down in great 
quantities, obstructing the roads. 

On the same mountain, at one league from 
the hacienda, is a mine newly opened, in 
which are found veins of gold, silver, and lead. 
This mine is in a remarkable place, the mouth 
of it being so high up the mountain that, for 



MAYO AND FUERTE VALLEYS. 117 

the last three hundred yards, no road for ani- 
mals could possibly be made, and the ores 
have to be carried down on the backs of men. 
The shaft is sunk one hundred and fifty feet, 
and lies at an angle of forty-five degrees. 
While I was at the mine, one poor fellow was 
so unfortunate as to slip at the mouth of the 
mine, and was precipitated down the banks to 
the ravine below, and instantly killed. 

Travelling south, and ascending the Espon- 
jada mountain, about two leagues of very 
rough road brought me to its top. Here I pur- 
sued the same direction, along a sort of table- 
land, it being a fine country, beautifully tim- 
bered, and well watered. Farming might be 
followed here, as the soil seems pretty good for 
raising grains or fruits. From this elevated 
spot, I had, as I descended, a refreshing view 
of the several valleys in sight from this promi- 
nent stand-point. Laid out like a beautiful 
picture were the bottom-lands of the Fuerte, 
the Chois, and the Portreros, their waters seem- 
ing to glide like silver veins through the green 
valleys. No more did Fuerte, "the strong,'' 
rush headlong toward the gulf, but only stole 
peacefully along from winding to winding. I 
lingered on this height before descending, 

5^ 



118 MAYO AND rUERTE VALLEYS. 

chary of losing the sight, so pleasant to me 
after my toilsome mountain scrambles. On 
my right, coursing southwest, is the Fuerte. 
On the left, the Chois and its various tributa- 
ries. Along the valley of the Chois, and fol- 
lowing the same direction, is a chain of 
mountains ; and where I see the faint smoke 
of industry, are the mines of '^ Plantanas " and 
" Masamique." Before me, and as far away as 
the eye can reach, is another range. of hills, in 
which is situated the mine '' Saluspei;de ;" but 
it is between them and me that my eyes rest 
with most pleasure ; for, after being so many 
days w^earied with the sight of " Alp on Alp," 
and with ascending and descending, with 
nothing in view but pine woods and Indians, 
I felt new strength invigorate my frame, and 
new lightness enter my feet, at the sight of 
ranches and houses, here and there, and corn- 
fields, patches of sugar-cane, groves of bananas, 
orchards of oranges, and all the tokens of a 
fruitful soil and prosperity. Nature has given 
of her abundance to these beautiful valleys. 

MASAMIQUE COPPER MINE. 

Descending the valley about ten miles, I 
visited the Masamique copper mine. (Masa- 



MAYO AND FUEETE VALLEYS. 



119 



mique is the Mayos word for deer.) This mine 
is under the superintendence of Mr. George 
Walker, a seaman by profession; but, not- 
withstanding the element to which he is 
native, his success here shows ingenuity and 
skill in his latter occupation of mining. The 
mine is owned by the Signers Ibarra Brothers, 
of Fuerte. The superintendent, by his frank 
good humor and courtesy, has conciliated the 
Mexicans, usually so prejudiced against Amer- 
icans, and made himself thoroughly popular. 
His furnaces are built on the German plan, 
and he has introduced some improvements in 
them. He employs over one hundred work- 
men. I take great pleasure in commending a 
man who has been able to make much out of 
little, and shown himself a good manager of 
mines as well as a gentleman. 

LAS PLANTANAS AND OTHER MINES. 

Two leagues from Masamique is the copper 
mine of " Las Plantanas," or " The Bananas." 
This mine is owned by the same company, 
and under the same superintendent as the 
other. 

Turning west from here, I came to the 



120 MAYO AND FUEETE TALLEYS. 

Queleli, or Vulture creek. This creek takes its 
rise in the Masamique mountain, and running 
in a southwest direction, empties into the 
Fuerte river. This is a resort for the " appur- 
adors," or all those who are " hard up," as it is 
famous for producing a very " coarse" gold, of 
fine quality. The country is productive and 
healthy, and the people lazy to an unusual 
degree even in Mexico. They work only when 
their necessities compel them to it. One 
thing, however, they do accomplish in a very 
creditable manner — they raise the largest aver- 
age families that I have ever seen. This 
occasions many marriages and baptisms. A 
baptism costs one dollar and fifty cents, and a 
marriage from twelve dollars to two hundred ; 
so that some money must be had for these 
occasions. But cash is an article rather scarce 
among them, though it is clearly their own 
fault. The " Queleli," however, is their re- 
source when money has to be raised, and the 
priests have good reason to praise this stream, 
which never fails to pay to the demanding 
batea the amount required for their fees, and 
has for years supplied them with so much 
ready money. 

This creek has been worked to a considera- 



MAYO AND FUEKTE VALLEYS. 121 

ble extent, and there are yet some good dig- 
gings remaining, especially if machinery could 
be brought to bear upon them, handled by 
some little enterprise. 

FARMING LANDS. 

From Queleli I proceeded to Chois, passing 
by the Tajadera, a place of considerable stock- 
raising and some farming. The Ranchito is 
another small farming place, only one league 
distant from Chois. 

From Chois I took a southwest course, for 
seven leagues, to Bacca, passing on this road 
various stock farms, among which were the 
JBajossa and the Adobes. Sugar-cane and 
corn are also raised at the latter. The produce 
of these farms finds a ready market at the 
mines. The Adobes is only three leagues 
from Bacca, which place is a Mayos Indian 
village, on the Fuerte river, of more than two 
thousand inhabitants. Their occupation is 
farming, which they prosecute in very good 
style, and raise some fine stock. 

Going south from Bacca, five leagues, down 
the river, I came to the Puehlo of Torre, an- 
other Indian village — " Torre " signifying 



122 MAYO AND FUEKTE VALLEYS. 

"bull," as '^Bacca" does "cow" This is a 
stirring village of three or four thousand souls, 
and the portion of country surrounding it is a 
garden of fertility. The valley is about twelve 
miles in length and four in average width. It 
is nearly all cultivated to a very high degree, 
and produces bountifully. The village is situ- 
ate on an eminence in the centre of the val- 
ley, and affords a delightful view of the several 
miles of cultivation surrounding it — a rather 
unusual sight in this country. 

Three leagues southeast of Torre is the 
Sienega^ or " Marsh land" ranche. This is a 
fine tract of land, under a high state of im- 
provement, producing large crops of grain. 
There are over three thousand head of stock on 
this farm, and other things in proportion. 

Keeping down the river for a little distance, 
we come to the large farming establishment of 
Pajarro^ or "The Bird," belonging to the 
Signers Ibarra del Fuerte, and celebrated for 
its beans. 

FUERTE. 

Travelling five leagues from here, and 
through a farming country of some interest, 
we find ourselves at the city of Fuerte, a place 



MAYO AND FUEKTE VALLEYS. 123 

of much promise. It is situate on the river, 
where the valley opens out into a broader ex- 
panse of fertile country, and is on the route to 
Culiacan and Alamo, being seventy leagues 
from the latter, and eighty-two from the for- 
mer place. It is only seventy-five miles from 
the Gulf, where some shipping is done " a /a 
BaccaJ^ Fuerte is the place of trade for all the 
surrounding country, supplying with merchan- 
dise the mines in the vicinity. Its trade would 
be considerably increased if there were a few 
more business men to manage affairs. The 
city of Fuerte furnishes a contrast to many 
Mexican towns, in the fact that it is constantly 
increasing in size and population, its present 
number of inhabitants being about five thou- 
sand. Some of its buildings are very hand- 
somely constructed. It has a fine church, a 
plaza, and one or two blocks of houses, which 
are quite in a modern style. 

Should the country ever become open to 
trade, there will be easy access by th^ river, 
which is perfectly navigable to this place, and 
makes one of its important features. The 
commerce of Fuerte must be doubled whenever 
steam navigation can be introduced upon the 
river. The present road from this city to the 



124: MAYO AND FTJEETE YALLETS. 

port is through a well-settled strip of country, 
and communication is made easy by a good 
carriage-way. 

THE COUNTRY SOUTH OF TUERTE. 

Taking a southerly direction from the valley 
of the Fuerte, at the end of the first league I 
found a stock ranche, and at the distance of 
three leagues more, another, whose name 
I forget, but it makes some pretension to rais- 
ing corn and beans, as well as stock, and is 
situate in the bed of a dry creek. 

From this ranche to the village of Montoya 
is seven leagues,, south. Montoya is on a 
pretty, small stream, and has a population of 
three hundred, scattered along the bottom- 
land for three miles. They raise good grain, 
and have fine stock. The country around is 
good for grazing, and there is some mesquit 
timber, but it is generally destitute of water. 

Continuing in the same direction for four 
leagues, I found the country pretty level for 
that distance ; after which I emerged from the 
pass of a narrow chain of mountains (the pass 
is called the " pass of los muertos," or robbers), 
upon a stony road, which took me, after three 



MAYO AKD FUERTE VALLEYS. 125 

leagues more, to the " Igura" camping-ground, 
under a large fig tree's shade, where there are 
two small streams of water. The country 
about this spot is very hilly, and thickly cov- 
ered with worthless timber. I found plenty 
of dew in this place, but the grazing was in- 
different. 

Still going south, down the hills, I came, 
after eight leagues of uninteresting travel, to 
" La Tajadera,'^ a small ranche, where farming 
as well as stock-raising was carried on. Taja- 
dera signifies that it is a narrow strip of land 
where .it is situate, it being on a small creek 
named " Los Estrellas,'' or " water in pools," 
where the bottoms are small or narrow. This 
creek has some gold-diggings in several places. 
The population of Tajadera is seventy-five 
souls. 

I followed the bottom of " Los Estrellas" for 
about three leagues, and found heavy timber 
all along it, and plenty of game — deer and rab- 
bit. The land would be excellent for cultiva- 
tion if it were cleared. Leaving the bottom, 
I kept on for seven leagues more, over a 
mountainous country, with no openings in 
the timber except the road, and emerged at 
last upon the edge of a clearing, where 



126 MAYO AND FUEKTE YALLEYS. 

stood the town of '* Ocorono,^^ on the same 
creek of Los Estrellas. Ocorono is an infant 
Cincinnati, being the place where hogs are 
raised, slaughtered, and packed, for the min- 
ing regions. I have seen better places than 
this ; but it is nevertheless very favorable for 
farming, on account of the quality of the soil. 

THE TOWN OF SINALOA. 

Getting started again, I found, at the end 
of two leagues, a ranche, on a branch of the 
same creek, where considerable stock and a 
little grain were raised. Seventy leagues from 
here, of very dreary travel, and affording noth- 
ing remarkable to the view, unless it was 
the great number of rabbits in the woods, 
brought me to Sinaloa, on the Sinaloa river. 
This is a town of perhaps one thousand inhab- 
itants, and looks like an old place, with an 
old church tower of, it may be, the time of the 
Spaniards. There is very little trade here, ex- 
cept in corn and cattle, both of which are 
abundant enough. 



THE VALLEY OF THE SINALOA. 



THE YALLEY OE THE SINALOA. 



This valley is the garden of the state ; and 
I have seen but few valleys in Northern 
Mexico to equal it in productiveness. Corn 
sells for next to nothing, and the pumpkins 
raised with it are the sweetest I ever tasted. 
A good many hogs are raised and fattened ; 
also many asses, and mules, and horses, are 
furnished to buyers at very low prices. The 
products of the country, for the present, are 
ahead of its needful consumption. 

The mouth of the Sinaloa river is widened 
into a bay called the Bay of Narachista, and 
is a small port, of little importance, at a dis- 
tance of sixteen leagues from the town of 
Sinaloa. Only small vessels can get into the 
harbor of Narachista, its difficulty of access 
being occasioned by the numerous islands and 
rocks in its waters. Its trade is in hides, corn, 
panoche, and some timber, which is rafted 
down the Sinaloa, for the Mazatlan trade. 

From Sinaloa city I went up the valley, 



130 THE VALLEY OF 

riding for nine leagues amid waving cornfields, 
four or five miles in breadth. In the centre 
of these immense fields v^ere the farm-houses, 
surrounded by little patches of beans, pump- 
kins, and chile. 

After getting through the cornfields, I en- 
tered the timber to the north, the river being 
on my left. After two leagues of travel, I 
came to a small creek where I found some 
water, and a little farther on a place called 
Milpas, where I stopped for the night. . It is 
half hacienda, half ranche, raising considera- 
ble sugar-cane and beans, and plenty of stock. 

The next day I reached the Pueblo de TJero^ 
or *' town of the fair-skinned," a Mayos Indian 
settlement of three hundred inhabitants. As 
in most cases, these Indians are farmers ; but 
they also do some gold-washing on the banks 
of the Sinaloa, which I here again retouched. 

Two leagues beyond is the copper mine of 
" Lajos," or "rocks piled on rocks." This 
mine is worked by an English company, who 
employ about one hundred hands. 

TREES AND PLANTS OF THE VALLEY. 

A league from this mine is an old " mil- 
pas," or cornfield, called Chapotilla. Chapote 



THE SINALOA. 131 

is the name of a very succulent and refreshing' 
fruit resembling pears, and grows in all the 
valley at the foot of the mountains. Here, too, 
is a tree which I called the " flower of the for- 
est," but which bears the name of "palo santa," 
or " holy tree." Its bark, which is smooth and 
white, is a remedy for poison, and its branches 
are completely covered with white flowers, re- 
sembling lilacs. It makes a very striking 
object in a landscape, its height elevating it 
above the surrounding forest. It is common to 
all Sinaloa, but grows most abundantly be- 
tween the Sinaloa and Culiacan rivers. The 
" mapo" is another flowering tree of great 
beauty, and is valuable for its wood, which 
grows tall and straight, and is of a very Rne 
grain, suitable for manufacturing purposes- 
The " manton" is a fine wood, and excellent 
for charcoal. It has a small purple blossom. 
The *' tepehuaca" is a low, heavy, branchy tree, 
resembling in its growth the live oak. It is 
used in making " los hollies" for '' los molinos 
de cana de agucar," or for the rollers of sugar- 
cane mills. 

These rollers stand in a frame, three in each, 
the middle one being the highest. There is a 
lever on the head of the centre one for a span 



132 THE VALLEY OF 

of mules to work. These rollers are provided 
with teeth, which receive the motion from the 
centre one, and the cane thrust between them 
is crushed. 

The tepehuaca is furnished with a beautiful 
flower, which grows a bean. The bark is also, 
when infused, a powerful emetic, and it should 
only be used in extreme cases. A piece of the 
wood steeped in drinking water is used for 
ague and fever. 

The "pochotes," or cotton tree, has a soft 
wood, with a thorny bark, resembling the 
prickly ash. It bears a small flower, of a 
cream red, which produces a cocoon that, 
when ripe, opens on the tree, and yields a ball 
of the finest cotton. It is used for making 
pillows, and lor lamp-wicking, candle- wicking, 
&c. '* Palo nesca" is a tall tree with a green 
bark. The wood is used for making cogs, or 
anything which requires hardness. The In- 
dians call it ^' palo piojo," or lice-wood, using 
an infusion of the leaves to cleanse their heads 
of troublesome tenantry. It is a fine tonic. 
The '' gum copal" is a low tree, with an inner 
bark, reddish and gummy, which furnishes an 
ingredient for making varnish. All these va- 
rieties of trees are common to Sinaloa. There 



THE SINALOA. 133 

is besides, the '' palo fierro," or iron wood, a 
species of lignum vitse. 

The Chapotillo is an abandoned farm, and 
is situate on a bend of the river, shut in be- 
tween high hills. It is also an old digging of 
some celebrity. I went over a square mile of 
land where the soil had been turned upside 
down, and thoroughly prospected. I washed 
several pans, and always found the color, but 
only two specks of coarse gold in the whole of 
them. I did not get to the ledge. Water is 
convenient and provisions plenty ; also, wood 
and timber. 

GOLD PLACERS. 

Two leagues from here is Baconbirito, at the 
junction of one of the tributaries of the Sina- 
loa river. Three creeks come together at this 
place, whitening two hundred yards of bank 
with placers. Baconbirito is to the Sinaloa 
valley what Chois is to the Fuerte valley. Its 
old, dilapidated church shows signs of better 
days ; and it is, to my belief, a place of future 
importance. The soil on which it stands is 
full of gold, and I have washed it out of the 
dirt in the yards of the houses. A hundred 
yards from the village is a " mesa," or table- 

6 



134 THE yalli;t of 

land. It is formed by a horse-shoe bend of the 
river ; and, on the southern side, another 
creek runs into the river, making it almost an 
island. It is, perhaps, two by ^Ye miles in 
extent, and partly planted vrith corn ; but the 
interest of the mesa is that it has been worked 
for gold, and the whole elevation, which is one 
hundred and twenty feet at low water, would 
pay for washing out. The gold is coarse, and 
pays eighteen dollars to the ounce. I counted 
more than two hundred shafts sunk, all of 
them so old that trees and shrubs have grown 
on the dirt excavated. The paying dirt is in 
layers or strata. The oldest inhabitants tell 
me that gold has been taken out in large quan- 
tities, but that the ledge was never reached, 
on account of water in the shafts. Water 
could easily be brought to bear on the whole 
extent of ground, and the abundance of timber 
and provisions makes it a good location for 
miners. I would counsel them not to come 
without saws, as they are an article not to be 
had for the money. There are, however, tin- 
smiths and blacksmiths in Baconbirito. Not 
only the mesa, but the whole bottom, far and 
near, has been prospected for gold, and has 
yielded very well. Some of the natives con- 



THE SINALOA. 135 

tinue to work, with the pan and batea, and 
make on an average seventy-five cents per day, 
which, in this country of cheap living, they 
consider good wages. 

The upper river furnishes abundance of pine 
and oak timber, and there are some abandoned 
silver mines in the vicinity. Many of the 
Mayos Indians have a better knowledge of the 
resources of the country than the Mexicans, 
and are more favorably disposed toward for- 
eigners. 

I started, on my return to Sinaloa, on the 
north side of the river, stopping three days at 
the new settlement of Buena Vista. It is 
situated on a high bluff overlooking the river 
and the valley for a distance of ^yq leagues. 
The sight is one of rich fertility, seldom 
equalled, and not excelled in any part of that 
country. 

Leaving Sinaloa, I kept on south once more, 
to Culiacan, distant forty-eight leagues. After 
leaving Sinaloa the country is very uninviting, 
for three leagues, to the Hacienda de los Sapos, 
or " Bullfrog Hacienda." At this farm was a 
fine manada, or droves of mules and horses. 
The water is supplied by a spring. 

Five leagues on my road I came to a desert- 



136 THE VALLEY OF 

ed ranche, on a small creek flowing north, and 
very heavy timbered — the timber being full of 
thorny underbrush. The ground, too, was ex- 
ceedingly rugged and stony. Grass and water 
were very scarce. Following up a small creek, 
southwest, I came to a high table-land. Three 
leagues then brought me to the Coyote, or 
" Wolf ranche,'' a poor, miserable farm, but 
with a fine manada of horses. Water is kept in 
a " represso," or reservoir, a large square pond, 
banked about with the excavated dirt, and 
surrounded moreover by a wall of stone ma- 
sonry, with a gate. Travellers must pay their 
" medio," or six cents a day, for having their 
animals watered here. In some places the 
rates are much higher. Southeast of this 
place, I came to the Sienega, or marsh farm, 
and also to another stock farm with a few in- 
habitants. Two leagues away is the ranche 
of Agua Calientey or ''Hot Springs." The 
springs fill a large lake or marsh, where wild 
geese abound as well as a most excellently 
flavored fish. Drinking water is bad, and 
the grass thin and poor. Bat little corn is 
raised at this ranche. Population about one 
hundred. 



THE SINALOA. 137 

MOCORITO AND ITS VALLEY. 

Continuing south from here, through timher 
and thick underbrush, for five leagues, I came 
to the Pueblo de Mocorito, or '' pretty stream." 
It is a lively, thriving place, of some seven 
hundred inhabitants. The creek has a kind 
of port where coasting flat-boats arrive, and 
carry away produce. There are a good many 
stores, and an old church whose tower is seen 
from a great distance, being remarkable for its 
height. The creek, as its name implies, is a 
most picturesque small water- course, which 
empties itself into the gulf Its banks are 
planted with grain crops to a great distance, 
especially toward the northeast, and its bottom- 
land is seven or eight miles wide. Some of 
the hills in the vicinity furnish gold fields, but 
they are three miles from water. 

I travelled up this river about three miles, 
in an easterly direction, then left the bottoms 
and struck into the woods, which were of the 
beautiful flowering tree ^' palo santa." It was 
like being in an enchanted land. Not long 
after, I reached a small farm, where I was in- 
vited to partake of an iguana roasted in the 
ashes. The monster looked very disgusting, 



138 THE VALLEY OF 

but curiosity and hunger, sharpened by a 
morning's ride, tempted me to partake. This 
animal is a species of overgrown lizard, from 
the size of a gray squirrel to that of a young 
alligator, whose legs it has, four in number, 
and made to climb trees, at whose tops they 
build round houses of mud and sticks. They 
live on wild fruit and the bark of trees. They 
are perfectly harmless, and though very un- 
prepossessing in appearance, have a good fla- 
vored meat. 

Four leagues from this farm, I came to the 
Iguerita^ or " small fig-tree." It is quite a pue- 
blo, or rather village ; and all the country 
about is in a fine state of cultivation. It is a 
country of low hills, or rolling land. I saw 
many desirable " sitios" — a sitio is a square 
league of land, the usual size of a farm — with 
prominent places for building upon them. 
This village is a good market in which to buy 
horses, mules, or asses. 

Iguera is another village, four leagues to 
the west, and of the same character. Leaving 
Iguerita, I went southeast, until I came to 
the ranche of Poma. This is the name of a 
tall, slim tree, whose branches are covered 
with leaves, of which animals are very fond. 



THE SINALOA. 139 

They fatten upon them as well as upon corn 
This Poma is a very fine farm. The palmas 
are very abundant here, their leaves covering 
the ground for leagues. The leaves are in 
common use for covering houses, making a 
light and convenient roofing. The round 
boles of the tree are used in building, and are 
invaluable for wharfing or piling. They are 
the best timber to put into mines, as they 
stand longest without rotting. There is a 
small species, called "palma de sierra," or 
mountain palm. 

Four leagues south of the Poma is the village 
of Macoro, of about four hundred inhabitants. 
The people are farmers and stock-raisers. This 
is where the road forks going to Mocorito. 
The road which I have been describing is the 
eastern, passing close up the hills. The west- 
ern road traverses the same kind of farming 
country, but better watered than is usual for 
this part of Mexico. La Palma is the only 
village of any note on that route. 

From Mocoro, I crossed the small arroya 
which passes to the west, and travelled for two 
leagues over a very fine country, unsettled, 
but suitable for farming. The road takes a 
southwestern direction to go through a range 



140 THE VALLEY OF 

of hills, cutting it at right angles. The first 
stopping-place isJElHojxado, or "The Hanged." 
There are signs of an old settlement here, and 
a gallows is standing, where some rohber has 
been punished for his misdeeds. It is at the 
very opening of the pass, and it might remind 
one that even in Mexico there is still some 
justice. There is a stretch of twelve leagues 
before you come to this pass, which is called a 
canon. It has lately acquired some celebrity 
from the battle fought there for the supremacy 
of Sonora and Sinaloa, between the troops of 
Gandara and Pesquiera. General Borunda, 
who commanded for Gandara, was lying in 
wait in the narrow road, which did not give 
him any chance to use his artillery and caval- 
ry. General J. M. Morales, commonly called 
the " cachoro," or " young pup," who was 
posted behind the hills, opened a brisk fire 
with his small artillery, and then charging 
Gandara's men, put them to flight in confusion, 
and completely routed them. General Borunda 
was killed, and with him died the hopes of 
Gandara. I arrived at the Noria (which 
means "well"), where I again had to pay for 
water. 

Seven leagues farther on is the Majole, or 



THE SD^ALOA. 141 

Mohole^ on the river of the same name. This 
Mokole creek empties into the Culiacan river, 
toward which I proceeded, following the bank 
of the river, studded with farm-houses and 
fields under high cultivation. Bananas and 
peaches grew in great abundance along my 
road ; also the large fig-trees in the bottoms. 
I arrived on the bank of the Culiacan river, 
which I forthwith crossed, and dismounted 
at a comfortable mansion, where I was glad 
to take a rest before thinking of examin- 
ing it. 

CULIACAN CITY. 

Culiacan is the largest inland town of either 
Sinai oa or Sonora, having six thousand inhabi- 
tants. Mazatlan is not much larger, though 
the largest of the seaports. It has some man- 
ufactories of cotton stuifs, under the protection 
of the Vega family, the richest and most influ- 
ential family of Culiacan. The Vegas have 
for years played the role of Gandara, and have 
kept the government of Sinaloa in their hands ; 
nor have they ever hesitated to plunge the 
state in wars to retain their power. They 
have the ownership of some of the richest sil- 

6^ 



142 THE VALLEY OF 

ver mines in Northern Mexico, besides cattle, 
caballada, and large landed estates. 

Culiacon has a more city-like appearance 
than any town before mentioned. Its streets 
are laid at right angles with each other, and 
the plaza is handsomely shaded with fine 
trees, making it a delightful promenade. The 
" Meson" is a comfortable place for travellers, 
with good stabling for animals, good rooms, 
and meals served either at the public table or 
in your private apartment, for reasonable 
prices. There is also a restaurant, kept by a 
Frenchman, where those who have dainty pal- 
ates may find something to their taste. The 
Culiacaneros have a club, after the fashion of 
an American town. 

The mint buildings are not the least inter- 
esting objects to a stranger, for in them are 
coined all the produce of the mines of Sinaloa 
and Sonora. It is a fine and efficient mint, 
and was put into its present condition by Eng- 
lish artists. American gold is here taken at 
par, not suffering the usual high per cent, of 
this part of Mexico. Several hundred foreign- 
ers are engaged in business in this city, chiefly 
French, English, and Spanish. Culiacan owes 
its present state of civilization to the influence 



THE SINALOA. 143 

of its few foreign residents, who have engaged 
in its affairs for fifteen or twenty years, as well 
as to the immense wealth poured into it from 
the rich silver mines of the country, far and 
near. Barras of gold and silver come to be 
coined from Guadalupe de los Reyes, from the 
mineral country around San Ignacio and Casa- 
la, from the great mines of Guadalupe Calvo, 
from the mines of Baconbirito, from the region 
of the Fuerte valley, from Alamos, and from 
all Sonora. This was formerly the nearest 
place of coinage for Chihuahua and Durango, 
the only other mint being on the other side of 
the Sierra Mad re, and their passes have become 
celebrated for the robberies committed in them. 
Besides these, the Comanche Indians had to 
be encountered. This combination of circum- 
stances forced all the bullion into the mint of 
Culiacan ; but, more recently, a branch mint 
has been established at Alamos, where it was 
long ago very much needed. 

The country around Culiacan is level, and 
can be irrigated easily for a considerable dis- 
tance. Tbe water of the river is abundant, 
and. the bank very low ; besides which, the 
country is not cut up by many streams coming 
from the mountains. Few places are better 



144: THE VALLEY OF 

situated for the arts and manufactures. An 
extensive agricultural region insures cheap- 
ness of raw material, and the soil is well 
adapted to grow cotton, sugar-cane, and rice, 
as well as other farming products. The pres- 
ent governor of Sinaloa, Don Placido Vega, is 
very friendly to foreigners, and anxious to pro- 
mote immigration and settlement, and to en- 
graft their civilization upon the people of the 
country, as well as to secure their capital and 
commerce. Nothing stands in the way of en- 
lightening the present race of Mexicans except 
their own indolence, and some prejxidice, for 
they are quite an inoffensive sort of people, 
and well disposed toward humanity in gen- 
eral. 

CULIACAN VALLEY. 

Following the river fifteen leagues west, I 
reached the port of Alt at a. It is on the gulf, 
and is the outlet for the trade of Culiacan and 
the surrounding mines. Immense are the sums 
of money that for the last twenty years have 
been shipped from this little port. It is fre- 
quented by coasting boats, and large vessels 
are lying at anchor a. short distance away. It 
might be here remarked that much of the sil- 



THE SESTALOA. 145 

ver which ought to be exported at this place 
is smuggled from some other place not far off 
along the coast. 

Enclosed between the gulf and the river is 
a ranche of twenty leagues square, owned by 
an enterprising Scotchman by the name of 
Quentin Douglas. A large portion of it is for 
grain-raising, being under good cultivation. 
There is also a mescal distillery on the place, 
and the owner does some exporting in dye- 
woods. 

At a distance of twenty-five or thirty leagues 
from Culiacan, on the road to Guadalupe Cal- 
vo,is another silver mine, called the " Quebrada 
Onda," or the ^' deep ravine." It is a second- 
class mine, but is paying very well. It had 
recently been plundered and sacked by a band 
of robbers, who committed great ravages, and 
was just recovering from its ruined condition. 

It is about eighty-two leagues, southwest, 
from Culiacan to Mazatlan, the great outlet 
for all Sinaloa and Durango. We must, how- 
ever, turn our attention to the silver mines in 
this section, which are quite worthy of notice. 

Travelling southeast from Culiacan for some 
seven or eight leagues of pretty level country, 
perfectly well watered, I came to the Los Vegas 



146 THE VALLEY OF 

river, a fine stream of water that I crossed 
twice, as it makes an island at this place. 
This is a fine farming country, " los vegas" sig- 
nifying a plain well supplied with water, or a 
ground fit for planting. On the top of a low 
hill, overlooking the Vega, is the residence. 
From Los Vegas I proceeded to Los Plant anas, 
seven leagues southeast. After travelling 
four leagues more, I went through a pass in 
a chain of hills, and emerging from this, found 
myself at the hacienda De los Vegas. The 
residence is a large, plain building, and un- 
sightly as uncommon in this land of abun- 
dant timber. The farm is a fine one, having 
large quantities of stock to pasture, and fine 
caballadas of horses and mules — this being a 
mule-raising place. It is the property of Don 
Antonio Vega, who is as nearly king in this 
country as he could be without the title. 

Leaving this hacienda, the country begins to 
be hilly again, where the road enters the bot- 
tom of a creek, which it follows for ten leagues 
through a very ugly pass, both for the badness 
of the road, and the opportunity it aftbrds of 
harboring robbers between its rocky u^alls, and 
in its narrow gorges. It is called "Bichi" pass, 
or *' the barren spot ;" though the word is .by 



THE SINALOA. ^ 147 

no means good Spanish, but rather a vulgar 
term, which sometimes means the female dog 
of the Chihuahua breed. At the end of the 
pass is a small settlement of the same name. 
From this place southeast, over a small range 
of hills running from northeast to southwest, 
is a small water-course, and some farms. 
Keeping up this creek which is dry, the water 
being only found in places far apart, I came to 
Casa Nueva, or " new house," a small village 
on a bluff of the creek, of about two hundred 
inhabitants. 



cosola. 

Leaving the creek and going to the east 
through a hilly country, ten leagues brought 
me to Cosola, a town in the midst of a banana 
plantation. Seven or eight miles away I could 
see the town, or rather a green spot, for, buried 
as the houses were, under the shade of bana- 
nas and orange-trees, not one of them was dis- 
tinguishable. As I approached more nearly? 
I was quite as much prevented from finding 
the town by the same kind of trees which line 
the road for a long distance ; and it was not 
until actually in the midst of the plaza that I 



148 THE VALLEY OF 

discovered the town. This valley city is a 
beautiful place, and the inhabitants might 
pride themselves on its picturesqueness, v^hich 
must be quite equal to the villages of the Alps. 
Behind it, and lowering down upon its softer 
loveliness, is the stern majesty of the Sierra 
Madre, making an imposing amphitheatre. 
Large crops are raised in this vicinity ; and 
some valuable silver mines give employment 
to a swarm of miners. The banks of the creek 
have been at different periods washed for gold, 
and have yielded handsomely. 

At a place eight leagues down the river is 
the hacienda of Santa Gertriidis^ an old build- 
ing where ore from a neighboring mine used 
to be ground up and amalgamated. The mine 
is now under water, and long abandoned. All 
the small rises of ground in the vicinity have 
been prospected for gold, and yielded profitably. 
Coarse gold of the finest quality is found here 
convenient to water, which is unfailing. Pro- 
visions and timber are also in abundance. 
Plank or boards can be had here for less than 
ten cents a foot. 

From Cosola to Guadalupe de los Reyes is 
ten leagues. After the first two leagues going 
down the Cosola stream, I beofan to enter on a 



THE SmALOA, 149 

very strong and hilly road, very worrying to 
the feet of the mules. After crossing some low 
ranges of hills, I came to the hacienda De los 
Naranjos^ or " Ranche of Oranges," a very pretty 
farm in a secluded nook. Crossing a high hill 
toward the south, I came upon the Rio de la 
Hahas, two leagues from Naranjos. This is a 
hacienda hidden in among the closely-huddled 
hills towering loftily over it. It is a depen- 
dency of Guadalupe de los Eeyes. There are 
some very good buildings here for the precipi- 
tation of gold and silver ores. Twenty soldiers 
are stationed here for the protection of both 
Habas and Guadalupe. The ore is brought on 
the backs of mules six miles from the latter 
mine, to be crushed with a set of heavy 
stamps moved by water-power. The water is 
very plentiful for three quarters of a year. 
The modus operandi is just the same at this 
place as at the Real of Guadalupe de los Re- 
yes, or ^' Town of Guadalupe of the Kings." 

THE MINE OF GUADALUPE. 

The Guadalupe mine is the richest mine 
now in operation, either in Sinaloa, Sonora, 
Darango, or Chihuahua. The treasure taken 



150 THE VALLEY OF 

out of it during the thirty years since it was 
opened is absolutely incredible. It was first 
worked by the Yriarte family of Cosola, and 
with the products of it the family name was 
made the first in Sinaloa. But at the death 
of the old Yriarte, the mine fell into the hands 
of his sons, who did not give it the attention it 
required, and its produce consequently fell off. 
Gambling, great carelessness of affairs, and 
reckless expenditures, brought their credit so 
low that, to satisfy their creditors, the mine 
was leased to the firm of Don Antonio Vega, 
of Culiacan, for seventy years, on condition of 
its paying the debt of three hundred thousand 
dollars, and the sum of twenty thousand dol- 
lars annually to the remaining members of the 
Yriarte family. Under the management of the 
Vega, the mine has for ten years had a run of 
great prosperity. The management has been 
intrusted altogether to foreign skill. A steam- 
engine was placed in it, under the care of a 
foreign engineer, who soon was able to " desa- 
qua" the mine, or get it dry. The adminis- 
trador is a small sort of king, the mining stat- 
utes making him judge in all cases of last re- 
sort. His pay is seven thousand five hundred 
dollars a year. There is below him a director 



THE SINALOA. 151 

of the mines, or chief miner, with a pay of 
three thousand dollars. The present incum- 
bent is a very talented German, Baron Leon 
de Worrinjer. His plan of the mine is a mas- 
terpiece of practical mining. Under his orders 
is the " miner," with twenty dollars per week, 
whose business it is to issue contracts for the 
work, and regulate the price of labor. Be- 
sides, there is the " under miner," who is con- 
stantly under ground, and gets fifteen dollars 
per week. Then comes the ''rajador," or 
time -keeper, who has eighteen dollars per 
week. Then the " captain de patio," who sees 
that the ore is properly broken for the stamps, 
and weighs it after separating it into first, 
second, and third classes, and whose wages are 
ten dollars per week. The engineer has thirty- 
eight dollars a week ; and the book-keeper 
three thousand dollars a year. 

The mine employs four hundred miners in- 
side, working day and night, each making from 
five to fifteen dollars per week. The works 
inside are very extensive, running some two 
miles in a straight line. It is a two-days' task 
to explore it. There are a set of men whose 
business it is to keep the galleries and shafts 
timbered up. A gang of twenty is employed 



152 THE YALLET OF 

breaking ore in the big yard outside. They are 
called '' qiiebr adores." There are some fifty ''te- 
nateros," boys and men, who earn from thirty 
to seventy-five cents a day carrying the ore 
from the mine to the big yard. They use a 
" turroa," or bag of law hide, narrower at the 
bottom than top, and which they carry on the 
back with a strap passed round the forehead. 
These tenateros require strong nerves and sup- 
ple bodies, mounting and descending the lad- 
ders, which are only straight poles with notches 
cut in the side. They work naked, except a 
piece of raw hide fastened on the sole of the 
foot with a string round the ankle. 

The crushing and precipitation of the ore 
require the labor of about one hundred and 
fifty men. The stamps are powerful, and are 
urged by Avater. When the ore is pulverized 
to a fine, impalpable dust, it goes into the pa- 
tio, where a due admixture of salt and quick- 
silver is put in with it, and it is left to sim- 
mer in a large basin built of masonry and 
containing water. When it is taken out it is 
of the consistency of mush. It is then laid on 
a " built" floor, and ^ve or six mules set to 
tramping it with their feet. This tramping is 
carried on for some days, until the mud has 



THE SINALOA. 153 

the consistency wanted, when it is washed, 
and goes to the usual retort process for separa- 
ting the quicksilver. It is then pressed into 
hars and stamped. Forty thousand dollars' 
worth of these bars take their monthly road to 
Culiacan, escorted by twenty soldiers, com- 
manded by a foreign officer. The soldiers are 
on foot, and travel the distance of forty-eight 
leagues in two days. They carry nothing but a 
gun and cartridge-box, and, for provisions, a lit- 
tle panole. Their clothing is a shirt and pair 
of drawers, and a pair of " guaraches," or raw- 
hide soles, on their feet. At night, while the 
mules eat, they stretch themselves on the 
ground. Only the best of mules can keep up 
with them on the road ; but when they get to 
Culiacan they make gambling and debauchery 
pay for hard service. 

The administradors are, by the laws on 
mining, made tyrants ; but the powers with 
which they are vested are generally used 
mildly, especially by the foreign officers. They 
have the right to say who shall remain or carry 
on business within the jurisdiction of the ha- 
cienda, to eject any obnoxious persons, to use 
force to make the natives work, or to put a 
refractory workman into the " barra." The 



154: THE VALLEY OF 

barra is a Mexican institution, and consists of 
a long bar of iron fastened to a heavy post of 
timber. The prisoner has a ring around his 
ankle, which ring is provided with two holes 
into which the bar is passed. The bar is then 
fastened with a padlock, and is so close to the 
ground that the prisoner is forced to lie down. 
Some of the barras can confine fifteen or 
twenty men at once. Another mode of pun- 
ishment is the "lepa," which is a piece of 
timber with iron fastenings that hold the legs 
and head in such a position that they cannot 
be moved. When it is determined to make 
the prisoner work, he is turned loose with a 
chain on one leg, to which is fastened a log 
which can be dragged about. Hard cases are 
sent to work in the mine, in the most danger- 
ous and damp places. All the mines have 
good strong doors, with bolts and locks, and 
are guarded by watchmen. The miners are 
searched when they come out for fear of their 
concealing some rich and choice specimens ; 
but they have learned such cunning that they 
are rarely caught. 

Nothing whatever is cultivated on the ha- 
cienda of Guadalupe except a patch of bana- 
nas. Two miles above here thiB Mexicans 



THE SINALOA. 155 

raise some corn on the hillsides in the rainy- 
season ; yet these hills are so steep a goat 
could hardly stand ; but that saves the neces- 
sity of fences. Selecting the steepest places 
for the above reason, the Mexican clears off 
the brush, and taking a barra makes holes at 
proper distances in the soil, drops in the seed, 
covers it over, and in about one hundred and 
thirty days has a crop of corn. 

Climbing the hill on which is the mine, two 
miles of a sharp ascent brings one to the Mo- 
lino, where all the wood for the steam-engine 
is cut. It is, as its name implies, an old mill 
where sugar cane used to be raised and con- 
verted into sugar. There is a good spring of 
water, and here are raised some good crops of 
corn and some ^' Goyares de Castile," a fruit 
which very much resembles the persimmon. 
It grows in great abundance, making in some 
places small groves. The kind called "De 
Castile," is very superior to the wild fruit of 
the same species. 

SIERRA MADRE. 

Two miles farther southeast brings us to 
Campo Santo, or the " burial ground," which 



156 THE VALLEY OF 

is the last place before crossing the Sinaloa 
boundary line into Durango. It is on the very 
highest mountain of the Sierra Madre, where 
half an acre of level ground is hard to find. 
At Campo Santo some mescal is made from 
the mescal root, which abounds in that vicin- 
ity. 

On the right is a bold peak called the ''Fres- 
nillo." It is not one league away to the south- 
west, but two days at least are necessary to 
get to the summit; for the journey must be 
performed on foot, and through the densest 
kind of forest, canebrake, and underbrush. 
But the view from that summit will reward 
the hardy adventurer for his toil. On the 
east of me is nothing but the lofty mountains, 
crowned with dark pine forests ; at my feet 
are the hills of Guadalupe ; and in the gorges 
below me are the mines of " La Republica," 
"Guadalupe," and '*Los Habas." Far to the 
north is Cosola, still farther Las Yegas and 
Culiacan. On the west I descry the outlines 
of the gulf of California, a large laguna. To 
the southwest, with a good glass, one may, if 
the day is clear, see Mazatlan. Nearer is the 
Pueblo de San Ignacio. It is close by, but 
cannot be reached in less than three days ; for 



THE SENALOA. 157 

between here and there is a world of hills. 
The gorges of ''Del Fresnillo" are full of wild 
animals — wild goats, deer, lobos, and the Mex- 
ican lion. The lobos, or mountain wolf, is a 
very dangerous enemy to mules or horses turn- 
ed loose to pasture without a guard, in this 
part of Mexico. When pushed by hunger it 
is very brave and fierce. 

The '' chichalaca" is a bird of these moun- 
tains, which chooses the wildest spot to make 
a nest. It is of a dark, sooty color, and as 
large as a hen, with longer feathers. Its meat 
is very finely flavored. It makes an excellent 
cross with other poultry, and is easily tamed. 
The noise it makes when hallooing is very 
much like its name pronounced with force, and 
wide-opened mouth. 

Fresno is the term for ash ; but Fresnillo is 
a shrub which, as a remedy, has cooling prop- 
erties^ and is used in fevers. It grows on these 
hills. Keeping on from Campo Santo, over 
twelve leagues of fine pine and oak timber- 
lands, but otherwise of no interest, as it is un- 
settled and uncultivated, I came to La Van- 
tana^ a window, or opening in the mountains. 
It is a fine farm, with pasturage for a large 
caballada. Some first-rate mountain mules 

7 



158 THE VALLEY OF 

are raised at this farm. Also a great deal 
of fruit, oranges, bananas, and goyaras. La 
Yantana is situated on the head waters of the 
San Ignacio river. 

Following ap the stream, I came among 
the homes of the '' Ollas," or '' clay pots" In- 
dians. The pottery which they make is good, 
there being in their valleys the best of " barro," 
or clay, for this purpose. An " olla" is a round 
pot made of clay, and generally glazed. All 
the cooking of the country is done in them. 
An " olla podrida" is a favorite Mexican dish, 
made of a mixture of almost everything in the 
way of vegetables or meat that can be got 
together. 

The Olla Indians raise some good, hardy 
little horses, and cultivate small farms very 
well. They are an inoffensive race. During 
my sojourn among the Ollas, I was shown a 
piece of gold which was taken from the en- 
trails of a cow. It was probably swallowed 
at some salt lick. It weighed about seventy- 
five cents. The river has long been worked 
for gold, and the Indians make from thirty- 
seven and a half to seventy-five cents per 
day with their horn-spoons and bowls. They 
showed me one place where they had worked 



THE SINALOA. 159 

for a year with success, but had never got to 
the ledge on account of the water. It is coarse 
gold which is taken out of these placers. If 
some intellis^ent foreigner would come and 
turn the channel, I have no doubt but many 
thousands of dollars' worth might be taken out. 



THE VALLEYS OF 

NORTHWESTERN DURANGO. 



i 



i 



THE VALLEYS OF 

NORTHWESTERN DURANGO. 



MINE OF LA REPUBLICANA. 

I HAD now reached the extreme northwest- 
ern portion of Durango. Turning back toward 
Guadalupe, I paid a brief visit to the gold mine 
of " La Republicana," which is situated in the 
side of a high mountain. It is a very valuable 
mine, as far as richness is concerned ; but the 
vein is narrow, and the rock of the greatest 
possible hardness. It is owned by the Yriarte 
family, who, unable to work it for lack of 
capital, merely keep an Indian there, who 
does just enough to hold possession- This In- 
dian, whom I visited, took out a small piece 
of the ore and ground it in my presence on a 
rough metate, then by simply washing it in 
a horn spoon, showed me quite a quantity of 
small particles of gold of that particular shade 
known as mine gold. I should think the ore 
of this mine would yield seventy per cent. 



164 THE YALLETS OF 

Below the mine, in the arroya, is gold dirt, 
but it yields only poorly with the pan. 

Five leagues southeast by south of Guada- 
lupe is the old mine of " Espirito Santo," an- 
other mine of the Spanish times, now under 
water. There are several other old mines in 
the vicinity of Guadalupe, but they are so filled 
up with rubbish it is difficult to speak of their 
richness with any certainty, although fabulous 
stories are told of some of them, which seem 
probable enough, from the fact that Guadalupe 
stands in their midst, a proof of mineral wealth 
and successful mining. 

ROAD TO MAZATLAN. 

Travelling to get to the Mazatlan road, three 
leagues of a break-bones road brought me to 
the Portrero, a small farm on the same stream 
which v/aters Guadalupe. The borders of this 
creek are well timbered, and have some patches 
of rich bottom land slightly cultivated. The 
wild fruits of the country are here found in 
abundance, while the hills furnish excellent 
grazing. 

Two leagues farther on is '' Casa Nueva," a 
well-built house in a fertile spot, owned by 



NOETHWESTEEN DrEAiTGO. 165 

Don Pedro Nabarro, an honest Mexican gen- 
tleman, and a well-wisher to strangers. Five 
leagues more brings us to the crossing of the 
Cosala or Elotus river, which runs west by 
south to empty into the gulf of Cortez. After 
crossing the Elotus river, the country is high, 
hilly, and broken, with scarcely a piece of 
level ground for twenty-five miles, after which 
its face becomes more even. But, as far as 
the eye can reach, it is covered thickly with 
timber and fruit trees, only excepting some 
small patches of cleared land. The thick and 
thorny under-brush renders it impossible to 
leave the road, unless you choose to cut a path 
as you go ; an undertaking by no means easy^^ 
as every bush and tree is covered with thorns, 
down to the very grass and rushes. This is 
the character of the country from Sinaloa to 
Mazatlan; from the foot of the mountains to 
the coast of the gulf The wild fruits are 
mostly of delicious quality, and the soil, when 
cleared, of the utmost fertility. 

Two more leagues of very good road for 
horsemen brings us again to the Cosala river 
at Elotus (an ear of corn), a very pretty place. 
The river here forms a small estuary, full of 

alligators. Fine crops of corn are raised at this 

7# 



166 THE VALLEYS- OF 

place, as well as sugar-cane ; and a beautiful 
plantation of bananas occupies one river bank, 
making quite an article of export ; besides 
which, oranofes and melons are verv abundant. 

7 »' 

The river at this point is a considerable stream, 
and when swollen by rains is not ford able. 

Going south from Elotus, the only interest- 
ing object on the first part of the journey is a 
fence, leagues in length, of tall bisnagas (a 
species of the cactus, very strong and thorny, 
and without branches). It makes a fence 
through which neither horses nor horned cattle 
can go, and besides being imperishable from 
rot — green and living, and requiring no care — 
it bears a fruit which, when accustomed to 
the use, is very nutritious and refreshing. 

SAN IGNACIO. 

A distance of fifteen leagues brought me to 
the San Ignacio river, a pretty large stream. 
A little above where I struck it, is the town 
of San Ignacio, once of some importance ; and 
just now again beginning to show some signs 
of its former prosperity returning. There is a 
fine Catholic church in this place, where a 
French priest officiates. This Father Martin 



NORTHWESTERN DUEANGO, 167 

came here from California, poor in hopes, and 
poorer in purse ; but was so fortunate as to 
secure the good will of the Bishop at Mazatlan, 
and got one of the richest livings in Sinaloa. 
He is a liberal and well-educated priest, cele- 
brated among foreign visitors for his hospital- 
ity. There is a good farming country about 
San Ignacio, and some largely- worked mines, 
I was shown some fine specimens of copper 
ores from an unworked vein. Its nearnesj 
to the coast will make it of value to some 
future owner or operator. There exist gold 
washings in the gullies which run down from 
the mountains between the San Imacio and 
Cosala rivers ; but it is fine gold, and very 
much scattered. 

Continuing south through a dense forest of 
Brazil-wood, which is becoming an article of 
export, five leagues brought me to El Palmeto 
(the palm), a ranche for stock and grain rais- 
ing. Following the same direction, three 
leagues brought me to San Juan, a consider- 
able village of stock-raisers and farmers. An- 
other three leagues on the same road I found 
'^Norid^ (the well), a ranche of considerable 
extent for the raising of stock. 



16 S THE VALLEYS OF 



BENADILLO. 



Four leagues beyond is Benadillo (the for- 
bidden), in a rich, fertile spot, only nine miles 
from Mazatlan. This is the summer resort of 
Mazatlan, and will be quite a pretty town in 
a few years. The climate is pleasant, being 
refreshed by the breezes from the sea. The 
forest abounds in Brazil-wood, and the excel- 
lence of the soil, together with the cheapness 
of living, makes it a good point at which to 
open trade. It is conveniently situated re- 
garding the coast, and is more favorable to 
economy than Mazatlan. 

Sellers of fruit and coDfectionary abound 
here ; and here every evening one may wit- 
ness the national game of the Bola, with a 
large ball of India-rubber, of the size of a 
man's head. The skill of the player consists 
in receiving the ball which is thrown, on the 
hip, and keeping it going without allowing it 
to touch the ground. The players are as nearly 
naked as possible with any dress at all, and 
the game is very exciting, giving great action 
to the muscles. 

Another of then* sports is the ^' plank dance." 
The ball-room is the open air, and a plank all 



NOETHWESTEEN DTTRANGO. 169 

the necessary preparation. The dancers, one 
man and one woman, get upon the plank, the 
fiddler strikes up, and they commence their 
dance, keeping time to the music to the great 
entertainment of the spectators, who each in 
turn contribute to the general amusement by 
a similar exhibition on this impromptu stage. 
Gambling is carried on to a great extent, 
as well as drinking ; but I was astonished at 
the ease with which the judge controlled the 
motley throng, and kept the peace. The one 
who was guilty of disorderly conduct, was 
quietly secured by his comrades, and ironed in 
the open air, where he was left to cool until 
the next morning ; when the judge came with 
his key, and set him free without any words. 

PORT OF MAZATLAN. 

Mazatlan has often disputed supremacy with 
Culiacan, and several petty wars have been 
excited between them. After Acapulco, it is 
the first in rank of the Mexican ports of the 
Pacific. The business is mostly in the hands 
of French and English merchants, and its ex- 
ports are silver, gold, and logwood. The port 
sinot considered as good as that of Guaymas, 



170 THE VALLEYS OF 

but is rather a roadstead ; and in heavy- 
storms vessels are obliged to put to sea for 
safety. During the three fall months the nav- 
igation is considered unsafe. Mazatlan has a 
population of three thousand. The country 
around it is good for agricultural purposes, but 
the water at Mazatlan is brackish and bad. 
"When the resources of the country, both agri- 
cultural and mineral, shall have been properly 
developed, this port cannot fail to have a brisk 
trade. For a few years past, new interest has 
been awakened concerning the mines in its 
vicinity — " Capala," " Oanuco," " El Rosario," 
and others. When communication with the 
interior has been made easier, new life will be 
infused into the mining interest. 

The land around Mazatlan, for a distance of 
forty miles, is a rich, black, loamy soil, nearly 
inexhaustible, and capable of producing all 
kinds of grain. The wood which covers it 
at present will pay richly for the cost of clear- 
ing, as well as the price of the land itself. 
The climate is not so hot as might be supposed, 
the sea-breezes greatly relieving the tempera- 
ture, and making the night gratefully cool and 
refreshing. Further back, near the foot of the 
mountains, are some very desirable locations, 



NORTHWESTERN DTJEANGO. 171 

where water is abundant, and of very good 
quality. 

Toward the south is the small port of San 
Pla ; and across the mouth of the gulf are the 
different small ports of the coast of California, 
which keep up some intercourse, and where 
the valuable pearl fisheries are situated. Thus 
there are few situations where a new and rich 
trade could be more profitably opened, than 
that afforded by Mazatlan on the coast. In- 
estimable wealth is buried up in mines, hidden 
in the soil, and sleeping in the forests, of all 
this portion of Mexico — wealth which the 
present race of inhabitants have not the power, 
knowledge, or will, to free from its bondage. 
But I look forward to a time when American 
enterprise shall bring it into active use. And 
now let me proceed with you along the road 
to Durango. 

NATIVE TREES AND BIRDS. 

It is thirteen leagues from the port to old 
Mazatlan, or the Presidio, The road lies 
along and around some small estuaries of the 
bay of Mazatlan, and is settled by fishermen. 
Along the way are numerous small stores, or 



1Y2 THE VALLEYS OF 

tiendos. After passing this portion of the 
road we go straight east, through a splendid 
bottom of ten leagues in extent, following 
the Mazatlan river. The bottom is thickly 
wooded with tropical trees, and a luxuriant 
growth of underwood; and here again the 
Brazil or Logwood grows in abundance. It is 
a low timber, with a thin, polished bark, and 
covered with ridges twisted the whole length 
of the tree. The wood being a valuable dye- 
wood, its exportation makes a, profitable busi- 
ness ; native labor being cheap. The banyan 
is also abundant in this region. The leaves 
are very long, slim, and green ; and the 
branches grow a great distance horizontally, 
when they send shoots down to the ground, 
which take root, forming new trees. Some of 
them make a shelter and shade for a Ions: dis- 
tance. It was in the month of March when 
I passed through this bottom ; but the trees 
were covered with every variety of birds, 
beautiful in form and color, from the little, 
glinting humming-bird, to the " guacamagor," 
a large kind of parrot. Of the last there were 
several species, of every color and all vari- 
eties of notes, from the startling call to the 
mocking cry. I never enjoyed a scene with 



NORTHWESTERN DURANGO. 173 

more lively pleasure. Nature spoke in the 
voices of those feathered chanters, in the rich 
vegetation, in the air loaded v^ith perfume, 
and in the roaring of the sea vrhich grew every 
mile more faint and far off. This hottom land, 
now so prodigal of wild vegetation, will some- 
time become a wealthy agricultural district. 
The banana, cocoanut, and native cotton, grow 
here uncultivated. 

OLD MAZATLAN. 

I arrived at the river, and crossing it, found 
myself at the Presidio. A presidio is the 
chief city of an old Spanish district, and the 
seat of government when the Spanish kings 
used to appeint a supreme judge, who, aided 
by the municipal officers, administered justice, 
and took care of the revenues. A presidio was 
formerly garrisoned. This one is an old, dilap- 
idated place, situated in a beautiful and fruit- 
ful country, where every kind of produce 
grows with but little cultivation. The popu- 
lation of old Mazatlan is about twenty-five 
hundred. 



174 THE VALLEYS OF 

SAN SEBASTIAN. 

Going east from the presidio nine leagues, 
over a fine farming country, I came to La 
Villa de San Sebastian^ a village amid corn- 
fields, banana plantations, and orchards of 
" circuelaSj^ or wild plums. It is remarkable 
of these plums, that the fruit only appears after 
the leaves have fallen off, and that the tree 
yields two crops annually. There are also large 
fig-trees along the creek, a pretty tributary of 
the Mazatlan river. This village has a popula- 
tion of one thousand inhabitants, and consider- 
able trade. It has the appearance of being a 
very old place ; and I doubt not that when the 
mines in the surrounding country were work- 
ed, in the times of the Spanish government, 
it was a busy mart of commerce and opulence. 
It has at present some very good houses, sev- 
eral stores, a church of considerable preten- 
sions, and the streets are paved, with side- 
walks also in a good condition. 

AGUA CALIENTE. 

Going east from Sebastian, eight leagues, I 
passed through a country well timbered, with 



NOETHWESTERN DURANGO. 175 

some small patches of cultivated land, and 
came at the end of this distance to the haci- 
enda of Agua Caliente, where is the hottest 
boiling spring I have ever seen. The water is 
actually scalding. The natives use it in dress- 
ing hogs, chickens, &c. There is no mineral 
in the water, and when it is cold it is fine 
water to drink. On this ranche of Agua Cali- 
ente is a large plantation of the " maguey de 
Castile" — the de Castile distinguishing it from 
the wild maguey, which grows so thickly in 
some parts of Mexico as to form veritable for- 
ests. The maguey is the tree of whose root 
the mescal liquor is distilled, which is in such 
general use in Mexico. From the sap of the 
maguey another liquor, called pulque^ is made. 
The sap is obtained by tapping the tree in the 
same manner in which our farmers perform 
the tapping of the sugar-maple, by making an 
incision in the trunk or stalk in the spring 
when the sap is ascending. From the leaves 
of the same plant are made a kind of thread 
called '' pita," used in place of flax thread in 
sewing leather, sacks, and bagging. 

From Agua Caliente, going south toward 
the mountains, I travelled six leagues over a 
rolling prairie, or table-land, which brought 



176 THE VALLEYS OF 

me to the foot of the Sierra Madre. Just here 
is the Ranche los Miiertos, or '' ranche of the 
deaths/' a very dismal name, given in memory 
of some sanguinary strife, the results of v^hich 
are marked by the numerous crosses still stand- 
ing. At this place are plenty of peaches and 
bananas : the bananas on the bottoms and the 
peaches on the more elevated places. 

COPALA. 

From Los Muertos I plunged into the passes 
of the hills, my road going southeast through 
a very rugged country, though the road kept 
in the channels of the creeks, now dry. In 
this way I reached Copala, travelling a dis- 
tance of ten leagues. 

There are placers in all those water-courses. 
In 1856, quite an excitement was created by 
the discovery of large "bolsas," where some 
money was made. Flocks of diggers rushed 
to the placers, the crowd and their improvi- 
dence being so great that actual starvation 
ensued. But the jealousy of the Mexican au- 
thorities was such that they sent soldiers to 
drive away the miners, lest a new California 
should be created, and the country filled with 



NOETHWESTEEN DUEANGO. 177 

foreigners. Thus, by their ignorance and stu- 
pid prejudice, they prevented the thorough 
^ exploration of the country. 

Copala takes its name from the great amount 
of gum-copal taken out of the surrounding 
woods. It is a silver mine of a good deal of 
importance, worked by an English company, 
who make use of the latest improvements in 
machinery. A splendid steam-engine is em- 
ployed to dry the mine and to do the work of 
stamping the ore. There are about three hun- 
dred inhabitants at this place, and it is the last 
point of civilization on the road toward Duran- 
go, still two hundred miles east of the Sierra 
Madre. It is one hundred miles from Copala 
to Mazatlan. 

Crossing a deep canon, and going north two 
leagues, I came to another mining place — 
'* Panuco" — it being one of those mines which 
have for years maintained the reputation of 
doing uniformly well. The name signifies 
bread-town. The mine is worked by Mexi- 
cans. 

Climbing the mountain overtopping Copala, 
the ridges of the hills must be followed. The 
descent on either side is very precipitous, and 
the ravines are filled with stunted oaks, wild 



178 THE VALLEYS OF 

bananas, and chapotes. Parrots and chichal- 
acas fill the air with their rasping cries. 
Higher and higher Ave go, until we reach Santa >^ 
Lucia, a little cluster of houses, among corn- 
fields, and orchards of chapotes, circuelas, and 
oranges. A new silver mine has lately been 
discovered, not far from here, which is yielding 
very handsomely. I saw the ore and some 
bars of the metal, which the owner showed 
me. He had just begun operations with half 
a dozen miners, and was anxious to get a for- 
eigner to go in with him, as he said to me a 
Mexican could not be trusted — a melancholy 
opinion to have of one's countrymen. 

Leaving Santa Lucia, I entered the fastnes- 
ses of the Sierra Madre. The mountains are 
covered with pine forest. The road is a mere 
mule path, where the greatest caution is neces- 
sary to prevent being precipitated down the 
rocks for hundreds of feet. The road lies in a 
general easterly direction, but the path changes 
alternately from side to side, and to all points 
of the compass, sometimes with the sun in 
your face and now upon your back in the same 
hour, as the difficult way leads winding up 
and around the summits. 



NOETHWESTEKN DUEA^GO. 179 

THE SIERRA MADRE. 

The first day after leaving Santa Lucia I 
camped. It is not at all difiiciilt to find wood 
or water, but much more so to get to a level 
spot for an encampment. It is a dangerous 
place for animals, who are invariably found 
bloody in the morning about the neck or on 
the back, from having been sucked in the night 
by vampires, or Mexican bats. They settle 
upon the bodies of the poor brutes, who seem 
not to feel them, and so suck out their life- 
blood. Long streaks of congealed blood mark 
the sides of the unconscious sufferers. These 
vampires rarely suck human blood, though I 
heard of some cases of women, sleeping uncov- 
ered in warm Aveather, being found in the 
morning insensible and with their neck bloody. 
For my own part, I had a great horror of them. 

Following the hillsides of several mountains 
(the Laderas range), I came to a miserable 
hamlet ofjacals (houses) on the top of a high 
mountain. Half a mile below it, on the road, 
is the shrine of some saint — a small square, 
enclosed by a stone fence, within which stands 
an altar, decorated with the picture of the 
saint, and tastefully entwined with garlands 



180 THE VALLEYS OF 

of wild flowers. Before this shrine stood an 
earthen vase containing some copper cents. I 
pleased myself with throwing in a white sil- 
ver quarter to '' astonish the natives." 

Farther up still among the mountains, I 
crossed a stream which, in the rainy season, is 
impassable, and came to a small settlement 
called Chapote. There grew the last bananas 
that I saw upon the road. I had now passed 
all the places where provisions could be depend- 
ed upon. The only safe mode of travel, in any 
event, in a country like this, is to pack your 
own provisions. On leaving Chapote I ascend- 
ed a high mountain, which the road follows, 
along the top ridge, for eight or ten leagues. 
It is called " I'Espinassa del Diabolo," or the 
" Devil's Backbone." The road is as narrow 
and slippery as a road with such a name 
might reasonably be, and on each side are 
precipices down which, if you look, you can 
hardly see the bottom. Surely no human foot 
ever trod those depths, which look quite out- 
side of this world of ours. No place I ever 
saw inspired me with such a dread of being 
lost, as this wild and terrible mountain coun- 
try. Nothing but high, steep, and rugged 
mountains around me for hundreds of miles — 



NORTHWESTERN DURANGO. 181 

the settlements few and far between — no 
roads ; nor is the sun of any use to bring one 
out of the bewildering labyrinths. Only the 
tall pine-trees and the everlasting sky are my 
company. I must not hasten ; I must go step 
by step carefully and wearily. Yet here, also, 
I see Nature in her most imposing aspect. 
Magnificent mountains, dashing torrents, and 
the grand loneliness and silence ! — these things 
speak God to the heart of man in an awfully 
impressive manner. A man who has not seen 
such sights as these in the Sierra Madre can 
hardly be said to have lived ! 

A storm among these heights is terrible in- 
deed. Nowhere can the wind make such mel- 
ancholy and such fearful sounds as among 
these giant pines, and sharp-edged, echoing 
rocks. What a sight, when the lightning illu- 
minates for an instant the ravines below ! 
What sounds, when an avalanche goes crash- 
ing and thundering into the depths beneath ! 

After some leagues of this rugged road, I 
descended into a little valley called Chara- 
varri, where there are about forty inhabitants, 
who live by hunting and raising a few bush- 
els of corn. Deer are plenty in this valley. 
On leaving it I had another weary road to 

8 



182 THE VALLEYS OF 

travel — an ascent of two leagues, very steep. 
Making this ascent, I followed a rugged canon^ 
which, after some leagues, opened into an- 
other pretty valley, with a pure stream of 
water mea^ndering through it, fine grass, and 
fine timher. In this valley I passed the grave 
of an American woman, who died on her way 
to California to join her husband. Peace to 
her ashes ! 

Some farther on were the ruins of a haci- 
enda, amid fields fenced with stone. The 
buildings were chiefly of brick. Not far away 
stood a reverberatory furnace, constructed on 
the English plan, rather small, and evidently 
designed for smelting copper ores. Why it 
was abandoned I could not discover. Except- 
ing the difiiculty of transportation, the situa- 
tion was a good one. No doubt either but 
some improvement of the road could be and 
will yet be made, as the necessity for trans- 
portation increases. 

I was now travelling along the eastern slope 
of the Sierra Madre. Some of the valleys on 
this side are capable of cultivation, and the 
pine thnber is of the best- quality. In one oi 
these valleys, which has a good bottom, I 
passed the night in an old house ruined by 



NORTHWESTEKN DUEAlS^GO. 183 

fire ; also passed on the road a natural house, 
formed in the rocks, with doors and windows, 
a good lodging-place for travellers. The at- 
mosphere has become much colder, and this is 
the land of '^Tierra Fria" or ''cold land,'' y 
contra of "Tierra Caliente," to which we may 
now bid farewell. 

After ten leagues travel on an undulating 
table-land, I came to the ranclie of Cayotes, or 
" wolf ranche," eighty miles from Durango. It 
is a place of but little interest. There are 
some springs bursting out of the hillsides, and 
from the appearance of the soil, I should judge 
that it would make good farming land, or 
corn-fields. At present it is but little culti- 
vated, and the few inhabitants look squalid 
and miserable. 

At this place the traveller meets a conducta 
(escort), of twenty soldiers from Durango, 
which comes out once a fortnight to protect 
those who go this road, from robbers and Co- 
manches. And from the numerous crosses 
which line the way, one may learn something 
of the frequency of the murders committed by 
the hands of the savage Indians, and the not 
less brutal bands of robbers which infest all 
Mexico. The crosses are only of wood, stuck 



184 THE VALLEYS OF 

in a pile of stone. Sometimes several occur 
together, showing that a whole party has been 
murdered. Another one tells of the death of 
some lonely priest, struck down without regard 
to his holy calling. The guide, as he points 
to them, crosses himself, and mutters a prayer 
to the virgin, or his patron saint. 

My course is now east, over a country of 
undulating surface, half prairie, half wood- 
land,^ with numerous patches of " Manganilla." 
This is a shrub which bears a berry with the 
flavor of an apple ; the wood is of great hard- 
ness. Twenty-five miles from Durango we 
come to the head waters of the Rio de Santiago, 
which runs southeast from here, although it 
empties at last into the Pacific ocean below 
San Pla. 

The descent into the valley or channel of 
the stream, which we must cross, is very long 
and difficult, the river passing through a deep 
chasm ; and the ascent on the other side is 
equally arduous. After passing it, we have 
two leagues more of rolling plains to cross, and 
to follow the side of a very steep hill for some 
distance, after which we come into a broad, 
level road, and may gallop into Durango. 



NORTHWESTERN DURANGO. 185 



CITY OF DURANGO. 



This is a celebrated inland town, of some 
pretensions to opulence. The streets are regu- 
larly laid out, at right angles, and well paved. 
The Plaza is a very pretty affair, watered by 
a spring which sprouts at the foot of a moun- 
tain overlooking Durango. This spring is very 
large, and forms a lake on the south side of 
the town. Its borders are laid out with spaded 
walks, and a public garden attached, which is 
now in rather a dilapidated condition, though 
showing traces of having been one of the finest 
of Mexico, which has many fine gardens. The 
taste for them seems to have descended from 
the aboriginal inhabitants, who had magnifi- 
cent public grounds at the time of the Con- 
quest. This one is very much frequented as a 
paseOj or promenade. 

The Cathedral of Durango is the most cele- 
brated of any on the continent after Puebla, 
for its richness of ornament in gold and silver. 
The massive candelabra of gold has a story of 
irreverent fraud connected with it, which does 
not reflect much credit on the character of a 
certain foreign artist. In 1846 the bishop 
(" el obispo"), thinking the design too crude 



186 THE VALLEYS OF 

and heavy, intrusted its improvement to the 
artist referred to, who gave it a numher of 
fantastical embellishments, that relieved it of 
some pounds weight, beside filling up the hol- 
low shape with lead. I subsequently met with 
the tricky silversmith, who was much better 
pleased with his acuteness, than was the 
bishop, who had discovered the fraud. Du- 
rango is only the wreck of its former grandeur. 
In the time of its greatest prosperity, the 
wealthy citizens carried luxury to such an ex- 
tent as to have silver railings to the balconies 
of their houses. In the altered condition of 
their affairs, they are content to replace them 
with more worthless iron. All the changes of 
government in Mexico have been most severely 
felt here. Families once rich and powerful 
are now become extinct, and only adventurers 
replace them. The military exactions of the 
past few years have broken the spirit and en- 
terprise of the people. The most fruitful mines 
are abandoned, or nearly so. The rich haci- 
endas have been sold for one fourth of their 
value, or are left to the ravages of the Indians, 
who of late years have come within forty miles 
of the city. During my stay, I saw haciendas 
sold by asking one dollar a head for all kinds 



NORTH WESTERN DUEANGO. 187 

of cattle, and the houses and fixtures thrown 
in. Such is the inconstancy of the govern- 
ment that capital dare not risk itself here, 
even when property can be purchased at this 
rate. The taxes are so enormous that all per- 
sons alike desire to draw in their money ; and 
business men are only anxious to sell out and 
get away from the country. 

The mountain which overlooks Durango is 
a rich mine of different ores, silver, lead, cop- 
per, and iron, all of which are said to exist 
within it, yet it is unworked. A factory that 
was once in operation, is now idle for want of 
the raw material. All labor is paralyzed, 
yet living is good and cheap. A meson, or 
hotel, is kept on the best possible terms. Good, 
airy rooms may be had for twenty- five cents a 
day, and good safe stabling for animals. Be- 
side this best Tneson, there are two others of an 
inferior grade. 

The climate of Durango is cool, healthy, and 
agreeable — the climate of the temperate region 
of Mexico. In the valley, watered by the be- 
fore-mentioned spring, are orchards of all va- 
rieties of fruit, beside some large and well- 
stocked farms. The grazing of the valley is 
excellent. Through this valley is the main 



188 THE VALLEYS OF 

wagon-road going to the southeast part of the 
state, along which are some large and fine 
stock farms, and a few of those mines which 
have once made Durango and San Luis Potosi. 
As we come nearer the southeast portion of 
the state, we find the country in winter troub- 
led with cold, piercing winds; at the same time 
wood is rather scarce. 

Durango has some fine state buildings. The 
mint is an old established institution ; but 
every day adds to its losses while the present 
state of revolution lasts in the country. Nor 
can a difierent condition of affairs become pos- 
sible until a foreign colony has settled in the 
northern part of the state, sufficient to protect 
it from the inroads of the Comanches ; or until 
foreign influence makes a change in the polit- 
cal feeling of the government. Could grants 
be obtained of large tracts of land in the min- 
eral regions, or near them, a great advantage 
would result to the Mexican as well as the 
settlers. These foreign settlements would be- 
come centres of trade, and would gather about 
them the industry of the country, and give a 
direction to its industrial capacities, which are 
for the most part unemployed at present. 

Men of some means should be the ones to 



NOKTHWESTEKN DUEANGO. 189 

undertake or direct the enterprise ; and men, 
too, of steady, exemplary character, and not 
adventurers. The good will of the Mexicans 
is to be conciliated by an example of upright 
dealing ; and their ambition awakened by an 
exhibition of superior intelligence. In this 
manner, by farming, mining, opening roads, 
and improving the country, the foreign influ- 
ence would soon be able to control the intelli- 
gence and capital of Mexico; nor is such a 
consummation very distant. 

Although feeling my inability to do the sub- 
ject justice, I have endeavored to place simple 
facts in such a light that my readers could not 
but draw plain inferences. I shall now pro- 
ceed to give them in the same manner a par- 
tial survey of the northern part of the state 
of Durango, and of the southern portion of 
Chihuahua. After which I shall cross to the 
Pacific side again, and describe to the best of 
my ability the mode of travelling, the road, 
and as before, the agricultural and mining 
wealth of the country, although in a slight 
and fragmentary sort of manner, rather by 
notes than by full descriptions. 

8^ 



DURANGO, CHnniAHUA, 

AND THE ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 



EOUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 



A TRIP TO THE SIERRA MADRE. 

I HAVE often remarked that our American 
travellers who every year seek the excitement 
of mountain scenery in Europe, and among 
the Alps, would find themselves well repaid, 
if not greatly surprised at the grandeur nearer 
home. The Sierra Madre of Mexico would 
amply recompense the exertion necessary to 
behold the most magnificent scenes, and most 
rugged passes imaginable. Nowhere can the 
possibilities of Nature be better realized ; no- 
where the spirit of the sublime impress ns 
more forcibly ; nor anywhere can such sudden 
changes of climate be encountered, from the 
heart of the tropics to the cool breezes of the 
" tierra templada," or temperate zone. 

From the States, several routes are available, 
from the mouth of the Rio Grande four hun- 
dred miles north. From San Antonio, Texas, 
the road is to the Eio Grande, at the Eagle 



194 DURAl^GO, CHIHUAHUA, AND 

Pass Crossing, where is situated a small vil- 
lage, Piedras Negras, of some four hundred 
inhabitants. Here has lately been opened a 
custom-house ; and it has become the principal 
business point for the larger inland towns of 
Chihuahua, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Parras, 
Monclova, and Saltillo. A hope is entertained 
of a railroad communication from San Antonio 
to Chihuahua, by a newly-discovered route or 
trail through the Indian country. A mine of 
coal has lately been found to exist, about eight 
miles above Piedras Negras (''black stones"), on 
the American side ; and still more recently a 
fine seam of excellent coal was discovered four 
miles from the same village, on the bank of 
the Rio Escondido, a tributary of the Rio 
Grande. I saw this coal proven at a black- 
smith's shop, where it gave the best results. 
The mine is situated in rather a level table- 
land, amid groves of mesquit. 

Along the bank of the Rio Grande are some 
fine fields : and the plain back of the village 
would make good farming land, if it could be 
irrigated. Four miles west of Piedras Negras, 
we cross the Rio Escondido, or '' hidden 
river." It is a cool, pleasant stream, well 
shaded by fine timber, but deep and treacher- 



THE KOTJTES TO THE PACIFIC. 195 

ous. At the time of Capt. Henry's expedition 
in 1852, many Americans were drowned in at- 
tempting- to cross it. No lovelier locations for 
farm-houses conld be found than those along 
the banks of this stream. It empties into the 
Rio Grande five miles below Eagle Pass ; hav- 
ing taken its rise in the mountains between 
Chihuahua and that river. 

SAN FERNANDO. 

Following this route west thirty miles, over 
a high rolling prairie, you come to the town of 
San Fernando, where the Bishop resides. It 
is a town of about eight hundred inhabitants ; 
and a good deal of trade is carried on with the 
American forts of Duncan, Las Morus, and the 
post at La Leona, in corn and provisions. 
Southeast of San Fernando, eight miles, is 
Nava, an old mission, where the Indians are 
all farmers, and raise great quantities of grain, 
corn, wheat, and beans, and fruit in abun- 
dance. 

SAN JUAN. 

To the southwest is situated the village of 
San Juan, which is an entire orchard of muL 



196 dtjeaintgo, chihuahua, Aim 

berries, oranges, peaches, figs, and granadas. 
This village has a population of three hundred. 
Here is the home of the Mexican sugar-cane ; 
and here, too, they make the "pelonico," or 
funnel-shaped cakes of sugar. Large lots of 
cattle and hogs also are fattened. 

MORELOS. 

Five miles east-northeast of San Fernando 
is the town of Morelos, a place of considerable 
pretensions, and apparently the creme de la 
creone of the three last-mentioned places. Here 
is a school established by a foreigner, w^here 
Latin, English, French, and Spanish, are taught. 
Pupils are sent from a distance of seven hun- 
dred miles in the interior. The inhabitants 
are chiefly farmers and stock -raisers, hav- 
ing large herds of cattle. They are also the 
bravest people in this region, and have vol- 
unteered strongly against the Indians. They 
fought very courageously against the ^diX- 
famedi2spa7zs, who have, since the heavy losses 
then sustained, been powerless. 

Six miles to the west of San Fernando is the 
MoUnOj a flour-mill, worked by water-power. 
Here I noticed an arch dated 1780 ; and the 



THE EOIJTES TO THE PACIFIC. 197 

old miller told me stories of Indian battles 
fought there during the last fifty years. From 
this place the road goes west-southwest over 
a higher country. Twenty-live miles will 
bring you over a low ridge, to some dirty 
water in a thick grove of chapparal (mesquit). 
This is a regular halting-place, it being thirty- 
five miles to the next, at the crossing of the 
Alamo — a stretch of country very dangerous 
on account of Indians. 

The Alamo has a fine valley for settlement ; 
the bottoms being rich, with an extensive 
grazing country to flank it. The timber is 
fine, while it is not far to good markets. 

SAN JUAN DE SABINA. 

Eight miles south of the crossing is San 
Juan de Sahina, a very prominent little place, 
situated on an eminence, at the foot of which 
runs the Sabine river. Here, also, are the rich- 
est of bottom-lands, with a belt of excellent 
timber on both sides. At a short distance 
are the Santa Rosa mountains. Santa Rosa, 
twelve miles from San Juan, is quite a thriv- 
ing place. A lead and silver mine, worked 
by a German, is said to pay well. The Semi- 



198 DUIL^LN^GO, CHIHUAHUA, AND 

nole Indians are settled not far from Santa 
Rosa. I here saw one of the sons of " "Wild 
Cat," of Florida notoriety. They have always 
preserved peace with the Mexicans, helping 
them to fight the other Indians. San Juan 
de Sabina has lately been colonized by a gen- 
tleman from Danemara, Sweden, with a small 
society of his countrymen. A bridge over the 
river at this place showed signs of improvement. 

Thirty miles beyond San Juan is the haci- 
enda of Agua C alien te, a large stock-raising 
farm. Some distance on, over a broken coun- 
try, is the stock farm of San Antonio. From 
this farm the road goes south forty miles, to 
Lambessa creek. Passing along this road, I 
saw thousands of heads of sheep. The grass 
is plenty, but timber and water are scarce. 
The water of Lambessa creek is very brackish. 
Its bottoms are large, and well wooded with 
mesquit. 

Twenty miles southwest from this creek 
brings you to the hacienda Los Hermanos^ 
another large stock and grain-growing estab- 
lishment. Here is a very celebrated hot spring ; 
the water being hot enough to cook eggs, and 
so abundant as to furnish the means of irriga- 
tion to its neighborhood. 



THE E0UTE8 TO THE PACIFIC. 199 

MONCLOVA. 

Thirty miles through a dry country brings 
you to Monclova, without having passed any- 
thing more interesting on the road than an old 
ranche where I saw a few sheep in a brush 
corral, some grass, and some mesquit timber. 
Monclova was formerly the capital of the state 
of Chihuahua, in which it is situated. All the 
business of the state is still carried on here. 
Its population is about four thousand ; and it 
has several churches, a plazo, and an alameda. 

Crossing a small ridge beyond Monclova, 
you come down upon a thriving village of four 
hundred souls, where an abundance of fat 
poultry and fat hogs, as well as large crops of 
grain, give evidence of the fertility of the soil. 
Indeed, it is the garden of the surrounding 
country, which is very hilly and stony. Here 
are the head waters of the Sabine, which first 
flows north, and then east until it receives the 
waters of the Alamo, and then empties itself 
into the Rio Saltillo (or salted river), which 
runs into the Eio Grande. 

Eight leagues north of Monclova is Sienega, 
on the edge of a large marsh communicating 
with the Massimi lake. Large quantities of 



200 DUBANGO, CHIHUAHUA, AKD 

wheat are raised here. Sugar-cane and corn 
are also staple products. 

Leaving the head waters of the Sabine river, 
the road lies through ten miles of a mesquit 
country, when you arrive on the border of a 
large plain, where is a well at which water is 
sold. There is also an old enclosed corral 
where animals are kept over night for paying 
a quartillo^ or two cents a head. At this place 
separate three roads — the easternmost one 
going to Monterey, the middle one to Saltillo, 
and the northern one to Parras. This last 
we take, though the most dangerous on ac- 
count of the Comanches. It takes us south- 
west, through a mesquit country, where the 
ground is covered with every species of cactus 
from the broad, round leaves you may find at 
the druggists', to the tree-like " visnasgas," 
with branches like deers' horns. Riding ten 
miles, we come to a water -hole, where is 
plenty of grass. After leaving this place, the 
country is undulating, and the road takes you 
between ranges of hills ; all the time gently 
ascending, and dry and dusty. There is no 
grass to be seen, while the mesquit is full of 
thorns. Twenty miles of this unpleasant road 
brings you to a hacienda, walled in, and hav- 



THE EOUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 201 

ing four towers furnished with port holes. 
Here are two large ponds of water, but its 
use must be purchased. I noticed at this place 
some fine specimens of shepherd dogs. 

Going hence south, on the top of the 
ridge, you reach some water holes and grass, 
after nine miles travel. Twenty miles farther, 
in a westerly direction, over a rolling plain 
with some patches of good grass, brings you 
to a piece of fenced land, several miles in ex- 
tent, where cornfields mingle with verdant 
pastures and fruitful orchards. It is a real 
oasis in the desert of dry land about it. At 
this place is a population of about four hun- 
dred, but miserable and squalid in their ap- 
pearance. Myself and party when I travelled 
this road were well entertained here — they 
would willingly have^kept us longer if they 
could — a foreign company being considered 
good protection against the Indians. 

The road takes us hence twenty miles 
across the plain, to a small and pretty village, 
on a little creek. It is the last village on the 
way, until within twenty-five miles of Parras ; 
and, between the two, lie about sixty miles of 
very dangerous country. Twenty miles will 
bring you to a' cool creek, Los Alamos, where 



202 DTJEANGO, CHIHUAHUA, AND 

refreshment may be taken both internally and 
externally. The next twenty miles are over a 
rolling, barren plain, shining in some places 
like glass, where an old, deserted ranche af- 
fords a camping-place. Beyond this is another 
abandoned ranche, where not a drop of water 
can be obtained, and the only resort is to burn 
some cactus for the thirsty animals. Still 
farther on is another deserted farm where, at 
the foot of a hill, is a fine spring of water. 

At this place I saw a fresh trail of the Co- 
manches, who had passed, not two hours be- 
fore, with a large drove of animals. They were 
returning, probably, from a plundering expedi- 
tion into San Luis and Zacatecas. 

From here the road goes west, entering a 
mountain gorge, which leads, by a steep as- 
cent, to a narrow and dangerous canon. The 
darkness is so great that the light of mid- 
day scarcely penetrates it ; but, at the end, is 
a little glen, enclosing a fine spring and a 
patch of fresh grass. The heart of the weary 
traveller leaps at the sight of this little bower 
of repose after the toil and danger of the way. 

Getting over the ridge, scattered farm- 
houses begin to appear, with fields enclosed by 
stone fences. But the road is dotted with 



THE ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 203 

crosses, and the inhabitants have a cowed 
look, as if they knew they held a lease of life 
which the Comanches might at any moment 
terminate. Passing on to the Hacienda de 
Abouja, excellent management immediately 
strikes the eye. The owner has fine gar- 
dens, a fine house, and an extensive ware- 
house or cellar, where casks of wine and 
brandy are ranged side by side, according to 
the ages of the liquors. The brandy is well 
known in that portion of Mexico as " aguar- 
diante de Parras." A good distillery and 
flour-mills are attached to the establishmeift. 
Orange groves, monster cactus, vineyards, 
everything show careful cultivation. 

PARRAS. 

One league southeast from this hacienda is 
the town of Parras, with a population of two 
thousand, and some considerable trade. It 
exports brandies and wines to the extent of a 
small commerce, and raises plenty of provis- 
ions, being situate in a fertile valley. Parras 
is garrisoned by a force of military, who 
are occasionally sent out to scout after In- 
dians. I once travelled in company with 



204 DUKANGO, CHIHUAHTJAj Al^D 

about two hundred of these soldiers, some 
twenty miles. They were on this occasion 
commanded by a stalwart negro, sometimes 
called Juan Caballo (John Horse), or more 
commonly Juan Vidaurri, on account of the 
confidence placed in him by the then "Candil- 
lo del Nord," or '' Chief of the North," as the 
all-powerful Vidaurri has been called. The 
company I speak of falling in with was com- 
posed of not soldiers only, but twenty Semi- 
noles and eight negroes, the latter probably 
runaways. 

^ Twenty miles northwest of the hacienda of 
Abouja, in a pass, are some fine groves of 
mesquit, and some large water holes. All the 
rest of the surrounding country is covered with 
the worst kind of thorny mesquit, without 
anywhere a blade of grass. 

Twenty miles south is the hacienda De la 
Pena, situated on the ridge encircling a large, 
marshy plain, or lake, of twenty leagues in ex- 
tent. You arrive at the hacienda just as you 
get a view of the valley where the lake is sit- 
uate. It is built in the only place where the 
ridge is passable, and you must go through its 
gates to descend into the valley. It is a 
square-built place, with solid masonry for the 



THE ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 205 

walls, and surmounted by a high watch-tower. 
The water and the dwellings are within the 
enclosure. I had the curiosity to ascend to the 
tower, and found there a singular guard. At 
each corner of the parapet surrounding the 
tower was a post dressed up in the clothes of 
some foreigner who had been butchered by the 
Indians — coat, hat, cravat, and all. Tn the 
hands of these scarecrows were sticks, with 
which they were sighting as if to shoot. I de- 
scended, to get a look at these sentinels from 
below, and found that they had all the appear- 
ance of a watch from a little distance. No 
doubt they have had the effect to keep away 
many a prowling Comanche. 

This ranche raises no crops whatever, being 
only a stock-farm. The water is supplied by 
a spring ; but, in riding fifteen miles along 
the edge of that moist valley, I was convinced 
that here might be raised splendid crops of 
rice, cotton, and sugar-cane. 

Going from the Pena^ and leaving the lake 
on the right, you must travel twenty-eight 
miles before reaching the town of Alamo de 
Parr as. This place is situated on the south 
of the lake, which is called '^ Laguna de 
Parras." It is a large farming town, and con- 

9 



206 DTJEANGO, CHIHUAHUA, AND 

tains about eight hundred inhabitants. Here 
the road which goes to Durango separates 
itself from that going to Chihuahua, the for- 
mer going north and the latter west- south west. 
The farming lands are irrigated by the water 
of a creek, called Rio de Parras, which comes 
from the south, and loses itself in the lagoon. 
The road to Durango goes through a long, 
winding pass, of some forty miles in length, 
and during the whole ride no water is to be 
found. Grass, also, is very scarce, but wood 
is plenty. Along the latter part of the road 
the mescal tree is so abundant as to make a 
thicket impenetrable as a canebrake. At the 
end of the pass is the hacienda of Don Juan 
Perez, where water is raised to the surface by 
machinery worked by mules, and sold to trav- 
ellers. At this farm large herds of mules and 
asses are kept, as the grazing is fine. The 
making of mescal is also carried on exten- 
sively, though in the simplest manner possible, 
and with the commonest contrivances. 

VALLEY OF THE CUENCAME. 

Twenty miles west of this hacienda is the 
Rio de Cuencame, a fine creek ; but there is 



THE ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 207 

no grass in all the surrounding country, and 
the soil is so rent in holes and gullies as to 
make travelling dangerous. 

Two leagues west, behind a mountain, is the 
shrine of " El Santa Nino de Atocha^^^ or the 
" Holy Babe of Atocha," at which place mira- 
cles are said to be performed, for the benefit of 
those who have faith to make the pilgrimage. 
It is surrounded by fine orange-trees, watered 
by the same river. 

Thirty miles west from the hacienda, over a 
good wagon-road, though mountainous and 
w^ithout water, is the valley of the Cuencame. 
As you descend the mountain, the valley looks 
like an amphitheatre, shining white under the 
sun's rays, with a line of dark green verdure 
through the middle. This verdure is the foli- 
age of cotton-wood trees, in the midst of a 
grove of which is a town. Beyond it are the 
bold, naked mountains of the temperate land, 
called the " Miembras," beyond which lies 
Durango. Those mountains are a prolongation 
of the JSTew-Mexico mountains which unite 
with the Sierra Madre, south of Durango, and 
make the upper table-lands of Durango and 
Chihuahua. 



208 DUBANGO, CHIHUAHUA, AND 

CUENCAME. 

Cuencame is a busy little place, whose in- 
dustry makes it flourishing. Large smelting 
furnaces are here in operation, for the smelt- 
ing of the ores of silver which abound in the 
surrounding mountains. The furnaces are 
well built, of brick, on the English plan. The 
inhabitants are engaged at their different occu- 
pations in the most assiduous manner, quite 
different from most Mexican villagers. I took 
up my quarters while there at the meson, a 
nice little place, where I was the only guest. 
But during my stay I was invited to his house 
by the " Debitado de las Rentas,'' or '' Collec- 
tor of Taxes." I found him anxious to get in- 
formation concerning the American States, 
about which he asked many questions. In 
European affairs he was apparently well- 
versed. Among other curiosities which he 
showed me was a coat-of-mail of fine steel 
wire, which must have been worth as much 
as five hundred dollars. He put it on, and di- 
rected me to try the point of my bowie on it, 
which I did, blunting it by the blow without 
making any impression on the coat. I was so 
fortunate as to witness the celebration of San 



THE EOUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 209 

Juan, or St. John's day, while at this pretty 
village. The little plaza was decorated with 
flowers and pictures, and around it were 
placed altars beautifully hung with silks and 
muslins, and tended by the fairest senoritas of 
the place. At midday a grand procession 
took place, and afterward a display of fire- 
works. 

In the evening, among other dances, I was 
struck with the " Mata China," a kind of 
tragedy, acted masked and dumb. The whole 
proceeded with dancing and gestures, not a 
word being pronounced, while the feeling of 
the scene was well enacted by this panto- 
mime. 

It was with a feeling of regret that I took 
leave of Cuencame, and the kindness and 
courtesy of its people will long be remembered 
by me with pleasure as well as gratitude. 

FROM CUENCAME TO DURANGO. 

It is still fifty leagues to Durango from 
Cuencame, in a west-southwest direction. The 
first portion of the road is over a range of vol- 
canic hills, and the latter is along an elevated 
table-land. It is easy for the traveller to come 



210 DUEAKGO, CHIHUAHUA, AOT) 

over the road, already described, in a carriage ; 
but, from Cuencame to "^urango or Mazatlan, 
a good riding mule r ^ted horse is much 

better, and, for the con "/■ ace of his baggage, 
pack animals will be l ;essary. Animals can 
be purchased cheaply at Cuencame, and those 
that are used to strong, rocky ground, as the 
country there is very gravelly. 

T' first twenty miles, after leaving Cuen- 
cam are pretty rough travelling, and bring 
us to a stock-raising ranche, where plenty of 
mules are bred, of a fine quality. Here water 
if. elevated to the surface by a drum propelled 
by mule-power. Twenty miles north of this 
place is a valley where cotton is raised, and 
where there are some factories at work manu- 
facturing the '' Manta," an unbleached cotton 
cloth much used by the Mexicans. It is a 
flourishing little place. From here the road 
leads over a valley covered with a growth of 
the vinasgas, whose fruit is so much relished 
by the people of the country. The valley also 
affords fine grazing, but water and timber are 
very scarce. Thirty-five miles take us to a 
fine prairie, at the lowest part of which is a 
deserted ranche called El Saucito^ or " The 
Willow." A large willow-tree, shading a 



THE EOT' JE PACIFIC. 211 

spring of cool ^, g water, gives the 

place its nam u^ ^. ng off on the prairie 

from this sprii .. , ., kl the first drove of 
wild horses that j saw. No sooner did 

they discover us tha they fled en masse and 
at lightning speed. 

From El Saucito to El Sanz is tv 
miles, over a high country, slightly tir .d. 
El Sanz is in sight for ten miles hefoi ach- 
ing it. The people of that place did the 
compliment to mistake us for Indians, and sent 
out several scouts to intercept us. Their 
scouts cautiously peered on us from the woovis, 
and seeing their evident hesitation, I mali- 
ciously gave chase to one of them, and ran 
him quite out of sight. The fellow was an 
expert at running, and got a good fright ; hut 
my party were, nevertheless, well received at 
the village, and supplied with plenty of pro- 
visions of every kind. They would gladly 
have detained us much longer, for our com- 
pany appeared to them like a protection. El 
Sanz is a stock and grain ranche, as is, also, 
Las^una, twelve miles on the road, where is a 
lake, or lagoon, near which we shot several 
wild pigeons. The population of each of these 
ranches was a-hout four hundred. 



212 DURAI^^GO, N TA, AKD 

The next forty mil d are over an un- 

dulating country, whe )tliing of more in- 

terest than two rather pDor ranches. There 
are four miles of this road in one place so 
stony that you are forced to dismount and lead 
your mule. It is as if a hail-storm of stones 
had fallen on those four miles. Beyond this 
bad road are some water holes, bnt the water 
is brackish. A little farther on is the haci- 
enda of Los CJiouos^ or the "Water-spout," 
where water flows abundantly out of the 
ground. This is really a fine place, built of 
solid masonry, whitewashed. It was once 
taken by the Comanches and burnt, which is 
the reason of its being rebuilt in modern style. 
There are large droves of sheep and mules on 
this farm. The residence of thfe " amo," or 
owner, is a pretty piece of architecture, the 
colonnades being in the Corinthian style ; and 
all else about it showing unusual refinement. 
The country around Los Chouos is thickly 
wooded with mesquit, and the soil rich. One 
or two farms may be discovered in the clear- 
ings. From this place to Durango is thirty 
miles. 

Three leagues from Durango is the crossing 
of the Rio de Huatmipi^ near which is situate 



THE EOUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 213 

a fine hacienda ; but it is not visible from 
the road. Between this one and Durango is 
a large hacienda, said to be one of the richest 
in the state. From here a fine road leads into 
Durango, which is seen at a distance from the 
plain. 

The stranger entering Durango will make 
one of his first visits to the mountain which 
overlooks the city. On its summit is built a 
church, and hidden in its bowels are rich leads 
of silver ore, as well as iron and other metals. 

Having gone over one of the routes by which 
the traveller may reach the mountain country 
of Mexico from the United States boundary, 
I will now, in the same manner, furnish my 
readers with the notes of a different route. 

ROUTE FROM MATAMORAS TO DURANGO. 

Matamoras situated on the west bank of the 
E,io Bravo, is too well known to need descrip- 
tion. It is in the state of Tamaulipas, and is 
one hundred and fifty miles from Monterey, 
capital of Nueva Leon. 

From Matamoras, fifteen leagues of dry 
country and level road bring the traveller to 
Lorro, a small stock ranche, with a popula- 

9^ 



214 duea:ntgo, chihfahua, and 

tioii of one hundred souls. It is on a stream 
of the same name, which runs into the Rio 
Grande. From Touro it is fifteen leagues to 
Las Chinipas, the " curly '^ The country along 
the road is level and dry. A " represso" is the 
only feature of the whole road worth noticing. 
Chinipas is a busy little place, with a farm- 
ing community ; and is watered by the head 
waters of the San Juan. 

Ten leagues from this village will bring us 
to Cadeireita^ situated on the Monterey river. 
Here there are fine groves of oranges, and or- 
chards of other fruit, also fields of sugar-cane. 
The population is about five hundred. Along 
the banks of the river are some fine haciendas. 
Ten leagues more takes the traveller to Mon- 
terey, the capital of the incorporated states of 
Nueva Leon and Coahuila. Another route 
from the Eio Grande to Monterey, is from Ca- 
margo over a rough and uninviting country. 
Ceralbo^ the first place on this road, is in the 
midst of chapparal thickets. Marin^ a small 
village of three hundred inhabitants, is situate 
on a small creek on a high, broken plain. Be- 
tween Ceralbo and Marin is Papagallo, an old 
deserted ranche ; and two leagues distant is 
Mamos, another ranche. It was between Ea- 



THE ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 215 

mos and Marin that the United States o-overn- 
ment trains were lost in the " Urias" massacre. 
Doiihtless the public and my friends will 
recollect that I was the only one of that party 
who escaped the general slaughter. From 
Marin to Monterey there is a passable wagon 
road. 

Two leagues beyond Monterey is Los Molinos^ 
the mill, a place of no particular importance. 
Twelve leagues farther on is Rinconada^ or 
'' elbow," a stock ranche. The country is poor, 
dry, hilly, and thorny, made up of valleys and 
mountain passes. Twelve leagues more of the 
same road brings us to SaUillo. This was 
once the capital of the district of Saltillo, now 
a part of Coahuila, of which this is one of the 
most important towns. Its population is about 
two thousand. 

Two leagues west from Saltillo is Buena 
Vista, the scene of General Taylor's victory ; 
and ten leagues beyond is the stock ranche of 
San Juan de Panama ; while eight leagues 
more bring us to the large stock-raising farm 
of De las Muchaclias, or " The Girls." The 
country in this region is mountainous and 
brushy. In some parts chapparal prevails, 
while in others the varieties of cactus predom- 



216 DUEANGO, CIIIHUAHrA, AXD 

inate. Some palo Jiero, or iron- wood, is also 
met with ; also m^esquit, and huisacha,, a new 
variety of mesqnit, bearing small beans of 
which animals are very fond. 

• 

INDIAN CHASE PROPOSED. 

On my arrival in Durango, from travelling 
this route with a company of men, I was wait- 
ed on by the secretary of state with a sum- 
mons to attend his excellency Governor Her- 
nandez. I immediately complied, thinking he 
wished to examine my carta de securida, and 
the passports of my company, which I took 
along with my own, for examination. On 
presenting myself to Governor Hernandez, he 
said to me, "I do not wish to see your pass- 
ports, but I wish to know if you would like to 
fight the Indians with your men." I answer- 
ed that I was unable to speak for my com- 
panions, as they were American freemen ; that 
I was merely spokesman for the party on the 
present occasion, and not master of the com- 
pany. " Return to your companions. I offer 

you thousand dollars for twenty days' 

service of your party ; and will furnish you 
with provisions and horses. If they agree, be 



THE ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 217 

in your saddles in one hour." I returned to 
the meson, called out my men, and told them 
of the proposal of the governor, which they 
unanimously accepted. I took hack their an- 
swer. Calling an officer, the governor said to 
him, after giving him orders concerning our 
comfort, *' Rememher, if on your return I hear 
the least complaint against you, I shall make 
you an inmate of that prison," — pointing to 
the stateprison, — " and I want these men fed 
on the hest that the state affords." I returned 
to get in readiness to depart. As I entered the 
meson, good horses, ready saddled, were hrought 
into the yard hy Mexican attendants. A guide 
was furnished me, and I was authorized to 
summon the troops of the state, if they should 
he needed. At the appointed time we were 
cantering along our road after Indians. 

At first we followed our road back for a 
course of ten miles, when we turned off to 
the northeast one league, where we arrived at 
the fine hacienda of Saueda (willows), where 
there is a large tank or reservoir of water. 
There are a great many animals, and large 
quantities of grain raised here. Five leagues 
from this place is the hacienda of Saucito or 
"small willow," owned by a priest of Durango. 



218 DUKANGO, CHIHUAHUA, AND 

Over three hundred hundred peons are employ- 
ed upon it, and the houses and grounds are in 
excellent style. This hacienda is situate in 
the valley of the Guatemepe, which, runs south, 
and waters several haciendas of the state of 
Durango. 

FoUowinof a northwest course, we left the 
valley, and, crossing a spur of the mountains, 
entered into the pine regions. Ten leagues 
from Saucito we came to the hacienda de los 
Finos, or Pine hacienda, where much stock 
and some grain is raised. Again crossing some 
spurs of the mountains, we once more entered 
the v^alley of the Guatemepe. 

CHANGING OUR ROUTE. 

As in mentioning our Indian adventure, I had 
no design of inflicting my personal experiences 
upon the reader, further than to show where 
it led me into the country, I shall again change 
my course, and describe another portion of 
the country lying between Cuencame and the 
northern portions of Cineloa; crossing the Sierra 
Madre by a route which will take us through 
southern Chihuahua, and a rich mineral dis- 
trict, and leavino^ Duranofo for a future excur- 



THE ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 219 

sion. Starting from Cuencame, we will take 
a west-southwest course over a rather hilly 
country. 

PINON BLANCO. 

Twenty leagues will bring us to the hand- 
some village oi Pinon Blanco^ or " white pine 
nut," a place of some two thousand inhabi- 
tants, situate in a very fertile valley. Farm- 
ing is carried on to a considerable extent, and 
several dry-goods stores do a thriving business. 
There appears to be a better class of Mexicans 
at this place than it is usual to meet with ; 
both more intelligent and more industrious. 
They are also very courteous and kind to 
strangers. 

HACIENDA DE MANORAS. 

Leaving Pinon Blanco, the road crosses some 
hills, after which the country opens into plains, 
dry, barren, and nearly destitute of timber ; a 
little scrubby mesquit being the extent of 
wood; neither is there much water. Eigh- 
teen leagues of this road bring us to the haci- 
enda of Manoras, the second in size of all in 
the state of Durango. Here are kept twenty- 
one thousand brood mares, thirty thousand 



220 DUKAKGO, CHIHUAHUA, ANb 

head of horned cattle, and one hundred thou- 
sand sheep and goats. The proprietor has for 
sale, yearly, ten thousand mules, which hring 
in no mean revenue. All this stock is grazed 
in the owner's enclosure, the whole great farm 
heing walled in. The proprietor is Don Jose 
Fierro, a descendant of one of the old Spanish 
invaders, the property having descended from 
father to son since that time. Eight hundred 
men are employed on the hacienda. Besides 
this immense farm, Don Jose Fierro is the own- 
er of two large sugar estates in the state of 
Vera Cruz, and an entire block in the capital 
of Mexico. His wife is a Spanish lady, edu- 
cated in all the refinements of Paris. Her or- 
dinary appearance is sufficiently brilliant to 
dazzle republican eyes, the jewels which she 
habitually wears being worth ten thousand 
dollars. Yet to all these riches they have no 
heir, the marriage having proved unfruitful. 

Although this place is so far from the sea- 
ports, the decorations of the house, and the 
luxurious living, might deceive one into be- 
lieving himself in some great port of the world, 
rather than on a remote hacienda of Durango. 
It is a capital place for travellers to recruit, 
there being everything here to furnish him for 



THE EOUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 221 

a continued journey, and a paradise of rest to 
the horseman, after hundreds of miles over a 
barren or mostly barren country. 

Continuing on this route for ten leagues 
over a rough and broken country, we arrive at 
San Juan del Rio, the ancient capital of the 
state of Durango. Its population is between 
two and three thousand. Its situation is upon 
a river, which has fine bottom land for culti- 
vation. 

From this place we cross some valleys of good 
land, and come to, at the end of five leagues, 
the hacienda of Santa Guia, or the *' Holy 
Guide." It fronts a large lake of fresh water, 
where plenty offish abound, and several species 
of wild game. It is an extensive grain haci- 
enda, in a fine situation ; and takes its name 
from its difficulty of access, as in high water 
this road is the only one by which it is possi- 
ble to approach the lake. The Rio San Juan 
flows out of this lake, which is itself formed 
by a spring in a cypress swamp. 

The owners of Santa Guia are four maiden 
ladies, who have expressed a determination to 
have none but American husbands. They 
each have a portion of five hundred thousand 
dollars in cash, deposited in the treasury at 



222 DUEAKGO, CHIHIJAHUA, AKD 

the capital of the state. The ladies are not 
bad looking, and appeared to be in good mar- 
riageable condition ! 

From Santa Guia it is four leagues to the 
hacienda de Guatempe, from which place we 
shall follow our old route to Santiago Pescar. 
From Guatempe we follow the valley ten 
leagues, which bring us to Madeline, or Santa 
Magdakna, a large hacienda where extensive 
orchards of pears, peaches, oranges, pome- 
granates, and quinces, are cultivated. From 
here we keep on over a high and dry country 
for six leagues which bring us to Chinicates. 
From Chinicates the road is over a high moun- 
tain, and descending into a valley, after four 
leagues you have arrived at Santiago Pescar, 
named after the Disciple, James, the fisherman. 
To follow our route we must here turn down 
the valley to the hacienda Pescar da, from there 
entering the southern pass for Guadalupe Ca- 
bro^ and finding no inhabited country before 
reaching this last-named place. The nature 
of the country renders a guide necessary ; and 
the scarcity of grass makes it very hard upon 
the animals you must use. The only vegeta- 
tion for animals is the potato top, this being 
the native home of the potato, where every 



THE KOUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 223 

green thing is sure to be the potato vine. A 
colony of Irishmen might flourish here, where 
their favorite root is indigenous to the soil. 
Water is plenty on this part of the route, and 
the road very bad, and, as you go west, exceed- 
ingly rough. 

Following valleys and plains, and alternate- 
ly crossing some small ranges of hills, we keep 
getting higher and higher, until about fifty 
leagues from Santiago Pescar, we have reached 
the top of the mountain range. Here bounti- 
ful Nature has provided travellers with a house 
to order, in forming a cave of large dimensions, 
with an entrance fifty feet in height, opening 
toward the south. The inside is dome-shaped, 
and arches over to meet the rocky floor, mak- 
ing a very smooth and polished canopy of solid 
rock. I should judge this cave to be the re- 
sult of volcanic action. One of its beauties is 
a waterfall of about six inches in diameter, 
descending from the summit, and giving the 
atmosphere of the cave a most delicious cool- 
ness. This would be a delectable summer re- 
sort, were it a little more accessible. 

Turning down the mountain, toward Guada- 
lupe Calvo, the grass and water are both bet- 
ter and more abundant ; but the road is of the 



224 dueajstgo, chihuahua, akd 

worst possible character. Riding is in many 
places yery dangerous, and to dismount and 
get over them on foot the only proper alterna- 
tive. No road can ever be made here better 
than a path for pack mules ; or, at all events, 
it will be safe to say that no amount of busi- 
ness or travel can ever force a railroad through 
these mountains. From the cave to Guada- 
lupe is about fifty leagues. 

From Guadalupe Calvo to Casas Viejoes, or 
Old Houses, is thirty leagues, or five days' 
travel over a bad road, or mule-path ; and from 
Casas Yiejoes to El Fuerte, twenty-five leagues 
more, over a road a little better, although the 
whole distance must be performed on pack- 
animals, as no wagon-road exists for this jour- 
ney. But should the traveller desire to go to 
some farther north into Chihuahua, he must 
take the wagon or state road at Alamo de Par- 
ras for El Parral, a business place for traders, 
and from there to Bajios, a distance from 
Alamo of one hundred and twenty miles, and 
as far as there is any road. From there north, 
only the eagle can go, or the sure-footed moun- 
tain-mule. But from Bajios one may return 
across the mountains again to Batopilas, by a 
pass somewhat better than the pass of Guada- 



THE EOUTES TO THE PACIFIC. 225 

lupe Calvo, yet not sufficiently good to make 
a railroad through here ever a possibility. 

The road from Batopilas to El Fuerte has 
already been described in speaking of the 
mines of Sinaloa. I shall now only name the 
places on the route from Batopilas to Guay- 
mas, Sonora : which are Los Tarumarias mis- 
sion, El Kealito, Los Cueros, Couleura, Tasaga- 
dera, Chois, Larro, Real de Alamo ; and thence 
from Alamo to Guaymas. 



STATE OF SONORA, 



STATE OF SONORA. 



ROAD FROM EL FUERTE TO ALAMOS. 

Crossing the Fuerte, which is here a tolera- 
bly deep river, on the north side is La Galera, 
or the '' Corn-thrasher," a small village. From 
hence the road is over a plain covered v^ith nies- 
quit and fine grass, and without any water for 
five leagues, until we come to Casanole, a small 
creek, where the bottoms are full of fine cy- 
press trees. Two leagues farther on is Mesquit, 
a farming village or hacienda, where a great 
deal of corn is raised on the river bottoms. 
This hacienda belongs to the Sonora capitalist, 
Gomez, who has here a very fine stock of 
horses and other animals. 

Following the bottom for five leasfues, we 
come to Tapeziilas, a considerable village. 
The bottom has a great many new clearings, 
but is generally covered with fine timber. 

Five leagues more bring us to Tangua, on 
the same bottom, which is, near this place, a 

10 



230 STATE OF SOXOEA. 

long belt of cornfields, and destined sometime 
to raise an immense amount of grain, as it lies 
between two good markets — Fuerte and Ala- 
mos. 

From Tangua the road goes to St. Vincent, 
where the principal object of the traveller's 
attention is a handsome little church, built on 
an eminence. Two leagues from this village 
is a ranche ; and two leagues farther on is an- 
other farm, which has no resident, though the 
cornfields w^ere teeming with yellow grain. 
Here is the last crossing of the Rio Casanole on 
our road, as w^e must now follow the course of 
the Fraile or Priest mountains, described in 
another place. 

Keeping at the foot of the mountain, two 
leagues of rather stony road bring us to the 
crossing of the arroya De los Ladrones (" Rob- 
ber's creek"), in a very wild spot. As this is 
the last water before reaching Alamos, and as 
here is some fine grass and a good shade, it is a 
very convenient place for repose, notwithstand- 
ing the bad reputation of this spot. It was 
formerly the surprising-place of a band of rob- 
bers, who hid in the Sierra de los Frailes and 
pounced upon the convoys of money and silver 
going to or from the mint of Culiacan, be- 



STATE OF SONOKA. 231 

fore the branch mint was established at Ala- 
mos. 

From this place to Alamos is a distance of 
three leagues, over a very stony road ; and the 
whole distance from Fuerte to Alamos is^ 
twenty-eight leagues. There is a carriage- 
road from Tangua to Alamos, but it is very 
long, and through a very bushy and thickly- 
timbered country. 

ROAD FROM ALAMOS TO HERMOSILLO. 

From Alamos we proceed to Agua Caliente, 
already described, crossing the Mayo river and 
the creek Rio Cedro, or Cedar creek, whose 
bottoms are covered with cornfields, to Coni- 
cari. From Conicari we go north to Sohia^ a 
village at the foot of a very high mountain, 
which you must go round to arrive at the vil- 
lage. Some corn and very fine stock are 
raised at this place, but water is scarce. At a 
little distance is a gold mine which was once 
worked but is now under water. From Sobia 
it is five leagues to Mesquit, a stock ranche, in 
a large plain between the mountains. Water 
is kept here by means of a dam in the small 
arroya which passes the place. 



232 STATE OF SOXOEA. 

Lea.ving the Mesquit ranche, we pass over 
into a valley, where water is to be found, hid- 
den under a large rock, in an out-of-the-way 
place, where its presence would not be sus- 
pected. Here was, also, the remnant of a house 
and corral, a part of the wall of masonry being 
still left standing. This country is a fine one 
for grazing and stock-raising, and lightly tim- 
bered ; but water is only to be got by wells. 
One league from the hidden water-hole is a 
stock farm, upon which there is only water 
enough for house use, and the cattle are driven 
some two leagues north, to the well of Buena 
Vista, situated on the same road in a thickly- 
timbered pass of volcanic hills. The water is 
here raised by a rude piece of machinery 
worked by mules, and the well is in a very 
wild and rather romantic place. 

Following onr north course, the road opens 
upon a large plain, at the lowest point of 
which runs a small stream, I'Alamos (or Pop- 
lar, in good Spanish). On this stream is the 
ranche of the same name, having a rich soil 
and genial climate, also plenty of timber and 
excellent grass. Good grain and stock are 
raised there. 

It is proper here to remark, that all the 



STATE OF SONOEA. 233 

country between the Mayos and Yagui rivers 
is fitted for stock-raising on a grand scale. 
The whole country is a pasture, even the mes- 
quit furnishing its share in fattening cattle. 
On the other hand, however, only some por- 
tions of it are capable of being irrigated, on 
account of the scarcity of water. Where water 
is to be obtained the fruitful soil richly repays 
the labors of the husbandman. 

From the ranche Alamo the road enters the 
goi:ges of the Bayouja mountains. After cross- 
ing a well-timbered ridge, we descend into a 
valley, also quite heavily timbered, and having 
some large cornfields ; but there is water in 
the arroya only a short time after the rainy 
season. This arroya has been slightly pros- 
pected for gold, which exists here; but, as 
there is no water to wash it nine months in 
the year, very little has been done. 

Following up this creek, we come to the ha- 
cienda of St. Augustine, owned by a very 
clever Mexican, quite friendly to foreigners. 
This place is two leagues from Bayouja, which 
is behind the mountain in front of St. Augus- 
tine. Going up the creek, we make the cir- 
cuit of the foot of the mountain, coursing first 
west, then east, to reach Bayouja. Half way 



234 STATE OF SONOEA. 

up the mountain is a mine of gold and silver, 
which has heen worked for fifty years with 
different results. It yielded handsomely to 
those who worked it with energy. The proof 
of its past richness is that it was this mine 
which built Bayouja. Since the civil dis- 
sensions in Sonora it has been abandoned, in 
consequence of which Bayouja is now in ruins, 
and a mere wreck of its old days. All the 
houses are decayed, and the population dwin- 
dled down to a mere remnant. The min^ is 
now in operation anew, and, with quiet times, 
it will prosper again. The present population 
is not over three hundred. The Sierra de Ba- 
youja is a very high mountain, and is seen 
from the gulf 

From Bayouja to BuenaYista on the Yagui 
is about sixteen leagues, over which distance 
are scattered only three settlements. The first 
ranche is in a valley, where there are placers 
of gold. The second, two leagues distant, is a 
fine farm, with plenty of corn and fruit, and 
large droves of horses and mules. It was here 
that I first met with any of the Yagui Indians. 
The last of the three placers on this road is 
hidden in a nook between the spurs of the 
mountains, where water in holes is plenty, and 



STATE OF SOXOEA. 235 

where the Yaguis hide large herds of cattle 
and sheep, the sight of which astonished me 
not a little. 



YAGUI VALLET. 

Approaching the Yagui river the country is 
barren, except in the immediate vicinity of the 
bottom, and that is heavily timbered. The 
Yagui is the largest river of Sonora (not speak- 
ing of the Colorado, which hardly belongs to 
it), as the Fuerte is of Sinaloa. The Fuerte, I 
believe, carries the most water. To ford the 
Yagui is dangerous, as the bottom of its bed is 
full of quicksands, and the channel changes so 
often that a guide is necessary even in the 
lowest stages of water. 

Buena Vista is on a rise of ground, on the 
north bank of the river. It has recently be- 
come celebrated as the battle-field where the 
troops of Gandara were routed by those of Pes- 
quira. The place has not yet recovered from 
the destruction which came upon it at that 
time. Not a house but shows that the " for- 
tunes-of war" have visited it — the doors, roofs, 
&c., being blackened or destroyed entirely by 
the flames. At the time of my visit all the 



236 STATE OF SONOEA. 

inhabitants had left it but a few Yagui In- 
dians, who had formerly made this one of their 
strongholds. A portion of the cornfields were 
standing'. Irrigation only is needed to make 
this soil yield splendid results in grain or other 
products. 

From Buena Yista two roads oifer themselves 
to go to Hermosillo, the eastern one by Cau- 
maripa, quite a farming and trading place, 
and San Jose de Pinos, already described. 
The western route is the shortest, but not much 
used on account of its being through a coun- 
try abandoned since the late insurrections of 
the Yaguis. However, we will go over it. 

It is two leagues northwest from Buena- 
Vista to some water holes over a ridge ; then 
the road enters a pass among hills which show 
abundance of gold and copper ; there is a light 
growth of timber on the hills, and plenty of 
grass. Two leagues more bring us to the edge 
of a large plain where there is water by the 
roadside ; near which are the ruins of build- 
ings, a well, and other domestic fixtures ; the 
road crosses this plain in the centre, going 
north. All around are mineral mountains; 
some in chains, some in blocks wildly thrown 
together, and some standing alone, like lofty 



STATE OF SONOEA 237 

columns. On the right is a copper-mine, work- 
ed for years with profit, but now abandoned 
on account of the hostilities of the Yaguis. 
The road which we tread, once a thorough- 
fare, is now nearly obliterated. It looks as if 
years might have passed since any one trod it, 
and is so dim that a Yagui guide is necessary 
to conduct us from mountain to mountain, for 
these are the only road-marks and mile-stones 
That this plain is of the utmost fertility, may 
be seen by the size of the mesquit timber and 
the height of the grass. 

Nine leagues from Buena Vista brings us to 
Agua Caliente^ on a small knoll, from either 
side of which flow springs of hot water, which 
naturally irrigate several thousand acres of 
black soil of the richest quality. Ths land, if 
cultivated, would produce any crop, such as 
corn, wheat, cotton, or sugar-cane ; but, here it 
lies waste, and there is one fine farm the less 
in Sonora for that fact. This plain extends 
eight or ten leagues, on each side, to the moun- 
tains ; and is, beside its fertility, apparently a 
rich gold field, 

10^ 



238 STATE OF SONOEA. 



SAN MARCIAL. 

Leaving Agua Caliente, it is eight leagues 
to Punta de Agua, or " water-sink," an aban- 
doned ranch e on the San Marcial river. The 
bottoms of this river are rich, and pretty thick- 
ly settled. Going up the bottom about three 
leagues, we come to San Marcial, the centre 
of several silver mines. The justice, or alcade, 
is a descendent of a foreign family, and speaks 
good English, as well as being very courteous 
to strangers. The silver mines of San Marcial 
are very productive, and give employment to 
many miners. San Marcial is also a good 
market for the produce of the valley. Both 
market and produce must rapidly increase in 
this valley as soon as a better class of settlers 
shall come in to keep out Apaches, who yearly 
drive away the stock, and keep down the 
farming. 

SAN MARCIAL VALLEY. 

Up the valley of the river, going east fiiiQew 
leagues, is the Hay game, a ranche owned by a 
Chileno. One league farther on is San Jose de 
Pimas. From here we go north eight leagues 



STATE OF SONOEA. 239 

to the Represso, or Reservoir, a stock ranche, 
owned by one of the Monteverde, a family- 
friendly to Pesquiera. Six leagues northeast 
of this place is El Heal de Suhiate, in a broken, 
mountainous region, without running water or 
timber. But here is a most celebrated silver 
mine, owned by the Monteverdes, and which 
has raised the family to an important position 
in Sonora. Five hundred miners have been 
employed in this mine. The ore, like all that 
in this portion of Sonora, is beneficiated, or 
worked in furnaces. But little is now done in 
the mine, the greater part of the work being 
under water, and a steam engine necessary to 
dry it. 

One league from Subiate is the ranche of 
Laguna, where the water stands in the rainy 
season ; but during the dry season a well must 
be used to procure drink. A new mine has 
just been discovered in a neighboring hill, 
which promises to yield a fair percentage. 
FromLaguna to Hermosillo is eighteen leagues, 
half that distance being a good level road. 

gandara's mine. 

On the left is situate the mountain of Sta. 
Rosalia, bold and prominent, in which is the 



240 STATE OF SONOEA. 

mine of Santa Teresa, the property of ex-Gov- 
ernor Gandara, who took out in four years six 
hundred thousand dollars. The principal " la- 
bor" paid as hig"h as eight marks of silver to 
the cargo of three hundred pounds of ore. The 
second "labor" yielded sixteen ounces of silver 
to the cargo; and the remaining labors a poorer 
percentage. Three hundred peons were em- 
ployed, but the cost of their wages was trifling, 
they being all the time in debt to Gandara, 
who paid them in advance in goods on which 
he realized a high profit. His large droves of 
fat cattle, and his ranches only at a little dis- 
tance, furnished the operatives with rations ; 
and all the carrying was done by his own an- 
imals. Paying out so little money, the silver 
taken out of the mine was nearly clear gain. 
Yet the thievish nature inherent in the Mexi- 
can and Indian, contrived to cheat the propri- 
etor out of large specimens of the richest ore — 
a sort of tax which no vigilance can prevent. 

It is not wonderful that Gandara, so many 
years governor of a flourishing state, owning 
mines, and rich in haciendas, should have 
amassed the colossal fortune that he did. But, 
as he has many friends, so he has many bitter 
enemies. To foreigners he has wisely shown 



STATE OF SONOEA. 241 

himself liberal and encouraging in a degree : 
also he was a good master among his own 
people, giving away some things in profusion ; 
but sparing of money, even to parsimony. 
His parsimony has, perhaps, cost him Sonora, 
and only untying his purse-strings will ever 
again set him in his native state. Moreover, 
Gandara lacks the grand requisites of a chief- 
tain — courage and confidence. To the greatest 
a,mbition he unites the meanest cowardice ; 
and such will be the record of him in the his- 
tories of Sonora and. Sinaloa, should, they ever 
be written. In the different military opera- 
tions against Gandara in 1848, he, with troops 
and abundant resources of every kind, showed 
himself unable to cope with Pesquiera, who 
was destitute of both. In the siege of Hermo- 
sillo, in the blockading of Ures, and at the bat- 
tle of Buena Vista, the last scene of the inglo- 
rious campaign, he shook the confidence of his 
followers, who while they admired his good- 
ness of heart, despised him for his want of 
valor ; — it being his custom to keep horses 
ready saddled for his own flight in case of de- 
feat, stationed some miles from the scene of 
conflict. In justice to himself, he ought to 
have chosen from among his friends some one 



242 . STATE OF SOIfOKA. 

more daring to assume the responsibility of 
command. 

Pesquiera, on the contrary, may boast of the 
chivalry of Sonora. Himself a brave man, and 
with such friends as " El Cachario" (Don Jose 
Maria Morales), he is the terror of the Yaguis, 
who have said to me, "We never had such a 
terrible governor." The Monteverde name is 
also a bright one in Sonora, and also the Elias, 
any of them were superior to Gandara. The 
fact that Gandara called to his aid the Yaguis, 
and allowed them to plunder and burn ha- 
ciendas and ranches, made him many enemies 
among the land-owners of Sonora, and alien- 
ated the commercial interest, which Pesquiera 
was clever enough to secure by large loans of 
money made to his government, which they 
are bound to support to secure the payment of 
their loans. 

The mine of Santa Teresa, since the flight of 
Gandara, has been left to the tender mercies of 
the " Gambusinos," who have worked out the 
pillars and brought it to ruins. 

Half way to Hermosillo, on the north, is 
Llano Blanco, or " White Plain," a stock 
farm. From Llano Blanco it is ten leagues to 
the Realito, a village at the junction of the 



STATE OF SONOEA. 243 

San Miguel and Sonora rivers. From here the 
road is through well-watered fields, until we 
come to Hermosillo. 



HERMOSILLO. 

Hermosillo is the ancient " Pitic" of the 
Ceres Indians, who once made this valley their 
home. These Indians were formerly a power- 
ful nation, but are now dwindled in number 
to a few hundreds ; and these are every day 
diminishing. The only memento of them 
which ere long will remain will be their name 
given to a suburb of Hermosillo — El Puehlo 
de Ceres. Hermosillo is built around a small, 
bell-shaped hill, called the " Campana" from 
its form, and because the basaltic rock of 
which it is composed gives out a clear, ringing 
sound, when pieces of it are struck together. 
It is a city of about fourteen thousand inhabi- 
tants, and the metropolis of Sonora both in 
size and importance of position. The produce 
of the wljole valley centres here, making it 
a place of considerable trade — the fruit and 
flour produced taking its way, by the San 
Miguel, to Mazatlan, and thence to all Sinaloa. 

The Sonora river sinks itself, six miles below 



244: STATE OF SOXOEA. 

the city, in a large plain, extending thence 
to the gulf. This plain, which is a magnifi- 
cent pasture-land, is dotted over with isolated 
mountains, harren and naked, and so near and 
so like each other as to make it very difficult 
to distinoruish them. The unavoidahle confu- 
sion which gets possession of the traveller's 
mind, preventing his keeping a straight course, 
is often the occasion of almost fatal bewilder- 
ment to even experienced vaguer os, who have 
lost themselves among them, and suffered the 
pangs of hunger and thirst in consequence. 
Water is to be found only at great distances, 
and game only near the water. On this plain, 
also, is a tree of remarkable quality, which 
can be found at certain distances from the 
gulf In the hottest days of summer its shade 
is cold — so cold as to give one a chill after en- 
during it for a short time. Its name is itos, 

ANOTHER ROUTE TO HERMOSILLO. 

From Punta de TAgua is a road going west 
to Hermosillo, passing by El Chibato, or " the 
goat," a stock ranche. A valuable lead of 
copper ore extends from the Chibato to a re- 
presso crossing the Subiate creek, which runs 
into the Punta de I'Agua stream. 



STATE OF SONOEA. 245 

Beyond a pass in the hills is t Aguague, a 
small village of " gambusinos," or miners, who 
each and all have one or two mines at which 
they work. Along this range of hills a hun- 
dred mines could be named ; but they are 
worked with very poor results, the miners hav- 
ing no means to open them properly, and being 
content after taking out a few dollars to waste 
it in gambling ; after which they can pawn 
their animals or tools to enable them to begin 
work anew, and buy a little supply of provis- 
ions for their new effort. Some of the ores 
pay well. They are beneficiated either by fire 
or quicksilver. Those which are beneficiated 
by the patio process (patio means yard) are 
very rich ; for the people work only a very 
small quantity of ore, which pays immediately. 
The ore is brought on the backs of asses to the 
settlement, where it is broken and ground in 
the arrastra, then mixed with quicksilver and 
boiled in a vaso or large copper kettle, stirred, 
and then retorted. The produce is then melted 
into the bar. The loss by quicksilver is very 
small, and the whole process is performed with 
the rudest imaginable contrivances. 

The ore to be smelted is broken fine and 
mixed with certain quantities of either lead 



246 STATE OF SOI^OEA. 

ore or any other ore at hand which may serve 
as a flux. The furnaces are of the commonest 
description, and being made of adobe rarely 
last over four or five days, though some, in the 
larger mines, stand fire for a week. In these 
worthless fixtures the smelting is done, of ores 
which, if worked on a larger scale, would pay 
very handsomely. 

West from I'Aguague stands a bold hill, 
nine hundred feet in height, alone in a plain, 
and called the "Pillar." It is known as a 
landmark to the country around. On the 
south side of this hill is a plain which fur- 
nishes a sort of stone that is not affected by 
fire, but the people are ignorant what use to 
put it to. About three miles to the north of 
the Pillar is a ridge of small hills in which 
three different copper leads have been opened 
and worked. These hills are at the foot of a 
high chain of mountains extending west to 
Guaymas. In those mountains, which are 
broken, and covered with mesquit and thorny 
underbrush, is a mine called Taraja (a blue 
bird with a long tail), of extraordinary rich- 
ness. It Wfci^j worked in the time of the 
Spaniards. Incalculable riches are supposed 
to have been taken out of it. During the revo- 



STATE OF SONOEA. 247 

lutionaiy war it was lost, as the country was 
but thinly settled about it, and it could not be 
defended. While I was in the neighborhood 
inquiries were making upon a plan of the mine 
which was sent from the city of Mexico. A 
large party was organized with the purpose of 
prospecting not only the mine but the moun- 
tains around. The project was a failure, how- 
ever, as the time allowed was insufficient. It 
would require a month at least to make a 
thorough investigation of the prospects here. 
However, several leads of silver and copper 
were discovered. In these mountains the 
mescal root abounds, and red deer and wild- 
cats are plenty. 

Two leagues northeast of I'Aguague, is La 
Villa, a stock farm, in a rich mesquit bottom ; 
but the forays of the Apaches have left it in a 
nearly ruined condition. On the same course, 
five leagues farther, is a represso and stock- 
farm, about four leagues from Hermosillo, 
as we enter by the Pueblo de Ceres. 

GUAYMAS. 

Keturning to Punta de I'Agua, we will go 
west down the stream, which forms a fine val- 



248 STATE OF SONOKA. 

ley, but wants water to irrigate it. Here the 
mesqnit timber is very large. Ten leagues 
brinof us to Noria, where considerable wheat is 
raised and fine stock is grazing on the plains. 
At the mouth of the river is " old Guaymas," 
four leagues south of the present port of 
Guaymas, now considered the best harbor of 
the Gulf of California, being safer than Mazat- 
lan. It is a strong military position, and, if 
fortified and properly defended, would with- 
stand a great force. It is strong by water as 
well as by land. The population is not half 
that of Hermosillo, which is connected with it 
and Alamos and El Fuerte by a good wagon- 
road. Its trade every day becomes more 
important, as the resources of the country be- 
come developed ; and it is confidently predict- 
ed that an Atlantic railroad will reach it in a 
few years, and that the rails will also traverse 
all the western coast of Sonora and Sinaloa. 
Guaymas must become the largest city of 
the coast, and especially when the Yagui 
valley shall have been opened to agricul- 
ture. 



STATE OF SOKOEA. 24:9 

ROAD FROM ALAMO TO GUAYMAS BY SANTA CRUZ. 

Five leagues south of Alamos is Minas Nu- 
eras, silver mines of great richness, but now in 
the hands of the Gambusinos, who work them 
in their shiftless and thriftless manner. North 
from these mines is Navojoa, with a popula- 
tion of five thousand inhabitants. The town 
is situate on the Mayo bottom, which large 
and fertile field is yearly sown with more than 
one hundred fanegas of wheat. Its people are 
Mayos and Mexicans, who carry on some little 
trade in grain. Following down the river sixty 
miles, we come to Santa Cruz, or " Gintivis." 
The whole length of the valley is a valuable 
tract of land for raising either fruit, wheat, or 
corn. 

Santa Cruz is a port of the gulf of Califor- 
nia, a smail harbor of the second class, sur- 
rounded, however, by a fine farming country. 
Several foreigners have opened sugar farms in 
the valley, but the hostility of the Indians did 
not permit them to enjoy their possession. 
Whenever foreigners shall settle in numbers 
sufiicient for self-defence, many productive 
farms and comfortable homes will be made 
along the Mayo and Yagui valleys. 



250 STATE OF SONOEA. 

From the Mayo we cross over a high tahle- 
land, dotted with mountains toward the east, 
passing several stock-farms where hoth horses 
and sheep are raised, reaching the Yagui after 
a stretch of seventy-five miles. El Cocori (the 
rooster), is situated on the Yagui, forty miles 
below Buena Yista. It is a military post, kept 
by government to awe the Yagui Indians. 
The troops, two hundred in number, are com- 
manded by a German officer in the pay of 
Pesquiera. El Cocori is a large farming place ; 
extensive " sequias," or ditches, carrying water 
for irrigation, extend all over this portion of 
the valley. 

Three leagues down the river from here is 
Baccan. This is one of the four principal towns 
of the Yagui nation, where they meet to trans- 
act business in a general assembly. It is situ- 
ate on the south side of the river. There is a 
church here, and considerable trade. 

TOURON. 

Crossing to the north side of the river, seven 
leagues of travel brings us to Touron. The 
road lies among thick timber, where the mes- 
quit grows taller and larger than usual, the 



STATE OF SONOKA. 251 

branches so linked and interwoven as to form 
a continuous natural bower of shade, under 
which yoa may travel all day, secure from the 
sun's rays, that in this region are very power- 
ful. At Touron the river makes a bend in the 
form of a horseshoe, and in the half-enclosed 
space stands the town, built on a small flat 
elevation of about forty feet. All the surround- 
ing country is level, and for a hundred miles 
not a rock is to be seen, which fact makes this 
little knob the more curious, it being composed 
of flat stones. In the midst of the little town 
is an old church, built by the Spaniards, in a 
good state of preservation. Standing on the 
elevation on which Touron is situate, the 
river — east and west — is visible for a long dis- 
tance, bordered two or three miles deep with 
thick canebrakes, back of which is the heavy 
mesquit bottom, of immense fertility. It is 
one of the richest soils I have ever seen. The 
town is nearly locked up from the surrounding 
country by a lagoon, that crosses the open- 
ing in the horseshoe, leaving only a narrow 
mule-path for egress or ingress. 

It was at this place that I witnessed a feast 
of the Yaguis — partly of a religious and part- 
ly of a political character — being performed 



252 STATE OF so:5roRA. 

while mass was celebrating-, from which 
strangers were carefully excluded. At some 
personal risk, however, I was enabled to see 
the celebration of the rite. The old chnrch 
standing so prominent on the hill appeared 
venerable enough ; and the spectacle, absurd 
as it looked to me, was one that worked up 
the feelings of the Indians to the highest pitch. 
In front of the church was a track, worn like 
a race-course, up and down which paced two 
milk-white horses with riders. Between the 
two horses, which walked side by side, was a 
man in a mask, with a long beard like a goat's, 
horns on his forehead, and a long tail behind. 
He was making the most frantic gestures, and 
uttering terrible and horror-exciting cries, vain • 
ly endeavoring to loosen his hands, one of 
which was bound to the pommel of each 
horse's saddle. The horses were wild with 
excitement, frothing, stamping, and pawing 
the dust, yet all the time keeping the same 
distance from each other, as if acting a part. 

In front of the church was another figure, 
with a masked face, dressed in white gar- 
ments, striped with red ; he had a pair of 
wings attached to his shoulders, and, in his 
hands, bow and arrows. As the first figure 



STATE OF SONOEA. 253 

personated the devil chained, so this last one 
represented a guardian angel, protecting the 
entrance to the church from the devil, who 
was vainly essaying to enter whenever he 
came in front of the door, and shouting in 
the Yagui tongue, " Tahamihenemica bah- 
min !" (Give me water !) while the angel re- 
pulsing him cried, '' Kaita bahmin" (There is 
no water). The scene was repeated all through 
the night ; while a whole set of Yagui instru- 
ments made of canes, drums, violins, harps, 
and numerous infernal-sounding instruments 
besides, kept up a most diabolical noise. While 
one portion of the Yaguis sung, another portion 
was on their knees praying and kissing the 
ground. The whole meaning and intent, as 
well as I could understand it, was to keep the 
devil from getting into the church ; and absurd 
as was the spectacle, it excited in me a lively 
interest. 

I enjoyed the line view of the valley which 
is had from Touro— of the river, the lagoon, and 
on the north a chain of high, rugged, volcanic- 
looking mountains. A Yagui chief confided 
to me the fact that his people owned in those 
mountains a valuable silver mine, whence 
they obtained the metal for their little orna- 

11 



254 STATE OF SONOEA. 

ments of crosses, rings, ear-rings, &c. ; but that 
they were all bound to secrecy concerning its 
location. Even could it be discovered, the 
hostility of the Indians would prevent its being 
worked, except by a large force, unless some 
way of obtaining their sanction could be de- 
vised. There are many mines of lead, copper, 
and silver, in those mountains, waiting the 
needful energy and means to bring out their 
wealth. 

From Touro, ten leagues of road, through 
heavily-timbered lands, where canebrakes al- 
ternate with large mesqult, and past some 
small Yagui villages, where you may see 
herds of sheep and cattle, and houses made of 
cane, in the midst of little orchards of fruit, 
bring us to Bekan. This is a village of pure 
Yagui population, if we except a few Mexican 
traders. It is located one league from the 
river, and is furnished with water by wells. 

From this place I took a northwest course to 
JBelen, another Yagui town, standing on the 
old bed of the Yagui river, which now runs 
twelve leagues farther south than it once did. 
Belen was built when the river ran beside it, 
and it is consequently an old town. It is a 
place of no present importance, its population 



STATE OF SONOEA. 255 

having left it with the river. Some stock is 
kept here, and some grain raised, but not in 
any large quantity. The pueblos, or towns of 
the Yagui nation, four in number, are Baccan, 
Tauro, Bekan, and Belen ; but the whole num- 
ber of the Yagui people scattered over the 
country is probably thirty thousand. The 
country they inhabit is capable of extensive 
cultivation, in grains, sugar-cane, rice, or cot- 
ton. Two crops of corn are raised annually, 
this being the most productive land in Mexico. 
It is my opinion that the valleys, not only of 
the Yagui, but of the Mayo and Fuerte, will 
compete advantageously with the Mississippi 
valley or Texas lands, in raising cotton, rice, 
and sugar-cane. The climate is healthy and 
delicious, the heat moderated by the gulf 
breezes. The air is dry, preventing malignant 
fevers. All the Southern fruits will grow well. 
Fish of excellent quality inhabit the river, and 
the oyster-beds at its mouth are justly celebra- 
ted for producing large quantities of excellent 
oysters, which will eventually be a source of 
trade. The opening of the mineral regions 
will, in the course of a few years, furnish a 
good and secure market for all the productions 
of this fruitful country. The planter will 



256 STATE OF SONOEA. 

have, besides, all the facilities of river and gulf 
transportation to enable him to dispose of his 
produce, and for all the necessities of trade of 
every kind. 

Los Fluaximas (named from a kind of wood 
resembling hickory) is situated fifteen leagues 
northwest from Belen, one mile from the coast, 
and only thirty from Guaymas by water. It 
carries on a small trade with the latter place, 
furnishing it with fruit and vegetables, wood, 
fish, and oysters. It has some fine orchards 
of oranges and other varieties of fruit. This 
place is owned principally by the " Manzanas" 
family of Gruaymas. One member of this 
family was executed in California, for nothing 
good, probably ; but the family have, in conse- 
quence, a decided dislike to foreigners, and to 
Americans especially. 

Five leagues northwest from this village is 
Chiltijnn (Cayenne pepper), a stock farm, not 
far from the coast, and of very good land. 

From here to Los llilpas (field gardens) is 
a very fine country, raising vegetables in great 
quantities, also a large amount of wheat. 
Four leagues more bring us to the " ranche of 
old Guaymas," where are still visible the 
traces of a much larger town than_now exists 



STATE OF SONORA. 257 

in that place. From Los Milpas the road 
passes many large houses in ruins, broken and 
burnt by the Yaguis and Gandarist party, in 
political revenge. Three leagues more bring 
us to the present port of Guaymas. 

About one league northeast of Guaymas is 
Bachucobampe, in an indenture between the 
hills. Nothing is to be seen here worth men- 
tioning — only some oranges and vegetables 
being raised here. In general the land just 
around Guaymas is dry and barren, and of a 
volcanic appearance. At the same time, how- 
ever, where there is water the soil yields boun- 
tifully. 

THE GULF COAST. 

Next to Guaymas and the port of Santa 
Cruz, the port of Lohos (wolf) is the most im- 
portant. It is about one hundred and fifty 
miles north of Guaymas on the coast, in lati- 
tude 31^ north. In reaching it by water 
nothing of interest is to be met with except 
Tiburn island, which is but a dry and moun- 
tainous spot, famishing nothing but a little 
guano of inferior quality. The Ceres and Pa- 
Pagoe Indians frequent it for fishing. 

But, taking the land route to Lobos, passing 



258 STATE OF SOXOEA. 

by Bachucobampe, one league from Guaymas, 
to the ranche of Cavello, a distance of five 
leagues, we will follow this course three 
leagues farther, to Nocha Buena (^' Christmas 
night") ranche. From Nocha Buena we turn, 
northwest, through a range of small hills of a 
volcanic appearance, and, nine leagues upon 
this course, come to the stock-farm of Taskiot, 
a Ceres word for the root of the mescal shrub. 
The residence on this ranche is a large square 
building, with towers at each corner furnished 
with port-holes. This show of defence was not 
intended for the Apaches, but for the Ceres, 
who for years pursued a war of extermination 
against the Mexican settlers. Fire and poison 
were used unsparingly in their work of de- 
struction, and with a vengeance fairly demo- 
niac. The poison which they used upon their 
arrows was extracted from a native shrub with 
a slender stalk and crimson blossom, the dead- 
liness of which is certain and awful. Not- 
withstanding their animosity, they were beaten 
in many hard-fought battles, and finally suc- 
cumbed to the Indians' manifest destiny of 
extermination. Only a few miserable rem- 
nants remain, in the desert tracts that border 
on the gulf below Hermosillo. I saw a few 



STATE OF SONORA. 269 

of them at Taskiot and Port Lobos. They 
were tall, slim, and well-formed, but had a 
pinched and starved look, which told of suffer- 
ing from the insufficient resources of that part 
of the country they are now forced to occupy. 
But very little game comes in their way ; the 
wild fruits of the country, with fish, form their 
principal subsistence. They carry on a sort of 
exchange with the ranches, offering dried fish 
and baked mescal heads for a little corn. The 
Ceres women, as usual with Indian tribes, are 
stout, fat, and plump. They perform all the 
labor, and are by no means prepossessing in 
their personal appearance. The Ceres houses 
are miserable cane-huts, on the sea-shore. 

Taskiot is in a large plain, surrounded by 
hills timbered with small mesquit and a few 
itos trees. Ten leagues from this place, in an 
easterly direction, is the Gargouss, a ranche 
situated on the Sonora river bottom, but with- 
out water, except in wells, as the river sinks 
several miles above it. In this direction is 
some fine timbered bottom-land, the soiJ being 
very rich. 

One league west of Taskiot is El Rancho 
del CarissaU in a canebrake, as the name im- 
plies. Excellent crops of corn and wheat are 



260 STATE OF SONOEA. 

raised here ; also oranges and figs. But a 
short distance from it is the land-locked bay of 
Bouhana, so called from a class of small coast- 
ing hoats, named boukan, which boats are 
alone able to enter it from the gulf, the high, 
reddish hills nearly closing together at the en- 
trance, on the north side. Near this entrance, 
and where fresh water springs come out at the 
foot of a great hill, is a village of Ceres In- 
dians. 

The road to Port Lobos from here lies direct- 
ly north, over a level country covered with 
mesquit and itos, and where the gulf breeze 
is always at play. This plain is dotted on all 
sides with some isolated hills and mountains. 
Water is scarce and hard to find, as in all these 
plains ; but gold is said to be everywhere over 
the whole surface of the country of a very fine 
quality. 

Port Lohos hardly exists as yet as a place 
of trade ; but its situation so far north, and in 
a direct line with the point in the Sierra Ma- 
dre, where the mountains mmj be crossed by a 
railroad from east to west, makes it a place of 
considerable importance in our contemplation 
of the future. This is also on the available 
and direct route for the exports of the San 



STATE OF SONOEA. 261 

Ignacio valley, and the northern parts of the 
valleys of the Sonora and San Miguel. When 
opened as a road, all the exports of Arizona 
must find an outlet here besides. This port is 
the only one between Guaymas and the mouth 
of the Colorado. 

Going north from Port Lobos toward the 
mouth of the Colorado, our road lies over a 
barren country, where choyal is the predomi- 
nant shrub, or vegetation of any kind. This 
choyal is a kind of cactus, with long sharp 
needles ; it grows a fruit reddish or white, ac- 
cording to the variety, on which Indians and 
rabbits love to feed ; the latter especially are 
found wherever the choyal grows. Mesquit 
abounds in all the valleys. Water is scarce, 
as all the streams which take their rise in the 
mountains dry up before reaching the gulf; 
and the traveller can only find a supply of 
water in the lagoons between the mountains 
on the coast. Several places may be noticed 
where gold has been washed along these hills. 
This country is principally settled by "Pa- 
Pagoes," who are hunters, and have their vil- 
lages wherever there is water. They are brave, 
and good shots : are tall, strong, and warlike 
in appearance. Recently the Mexican gov- 



262 STATE OF SONOEA. 

ernment has employed them to hunt down the 
Apaches, those terrors to all Mexicans. 

As we approach the Colorado, the country 
has a poor, low appearance ; higher up the 
river are some fine valleys of mesquit, where 
the land is rich ; hut near the mouth of the 
river, and bordering on the gulf, is a desert 
tract of a hundred miles in length. 

Going southeast once more, fifty miles bring 
us to Sonorita, the northernmost settlement 
of Mexicans in northwest Sonora ; it is a ranche 
on a fine stream of water, in a hilly country 
covered with mesquit timber. Gold-washing 
is carried on here in the valley, and on the 
plain, in the primitive manner of the pan, or 
wooden batea : some of the dirt is carried to 
the stream to be washed, a.nd some is taken 
out by blowing away the fine sand ; the dirt 
must be dried and pounded, the process being 
very tedious, besides wasting all the fine gold, 
the heavier particles alone being retained. 

THE PA-PAGOE VILLAGES. 

After leaving Sonorita, I went sonth to Ar- 
eitorae, a village of Pa-Pagoes. The journey 
is ten leagues, over broken plains of gravelly 



i 



STATE OF SONOEA. 263 

quartz, mixed with clay the whole distance. 
It is an extensive gold-field, and would be 
found to pay well, could water be obtained ; 
but no running water exists here ; yet the nu- 
merous excavations show that work has been 
done even here. 

South of Areitorae, about three leagues, a 
chain of mountains runs from east to west. 
Entering a canon which opens near the vil- 
lage, and following it south ascending the 
mountain, when you are at the very crest, over- 
looking the valley north and south, you are 
right upon a quartz vein which follows the di- 
rection of the chain. This ledge has been 
worked down to some depth. The front of the 
mine opens toward the east, and there are vis- 
ible the ores as they were taken out and aban- 
doned. It is a gold-bearing quartz, and the 
extent of the works shows that the mine must 
have been one of some richness. 

Areitorae is watered by a spring, which 
seems to be the only water in its vicinity. 
The Indians seemed to be in good circum- 
stances, were well dressed, and had good 
houses. As they have no means of farming, 
they must draw all their support from gold- 
washings. They probably number one thou- 



264 STATE OF SONORA. 

sand, this being one of the most considerable 
Pa-Pagoe settlements. 

GUADALUPE -PA-PAGOE. 

Prom Areitorae I travelled ten leagues south- 
east ; the first five leagues being over a large 
plain of fine grazing land, timbered with mes- 
quit. At this distance the plain was crossed 
by a mountain coming from the east. I there- 
fore turned to the right, and going round it, 
followed its south base until I came to the 
Pa-Pagoe village of Guadalupe. Here I found 
about five hundred Indians — men, women, and 
children — all occupied in digging, pounding 
and blowing dirt, to extract the gold from it. 
Plere, also, were a number of Mexican traders, 
with bread-stuffs, sugar, and other necessaries, 
with which an exchange of gold-dust for their 
provisions was every afternoon made. Each 
day's work was bartered off" as it was earned, 
which gave me an opportunity of knowing 
just how much a day's work amounted to. I 
thought them doing very well, considering the 
fact that their tools consisted of pieces of broken 
hoops, old knives, and sometimes a sharp-point- 
ed stick. Their wages amounted to from one to 



STATE OF SONORA. 265 

five dollars per day, and the gold was of the 
coarse kind. In the evening, dancing and frol- 
icking were the order of things, and all seemed 
to enjoy careless happiness. I conversed with 
the principal chief, who spoke Spanish, and 
was passably intelligent. I asked him, where 
the diggings were so general, which were 
best — those in the hills, the valleys, or the 
plains ? He assured me that his people found 
no particular difference, but succeeded about 
equally well everywhere, the country appear- 
ing to be universally furnished with the pre- 
cious metal in about the same proportion. 
This chief treated me with great kindness and 
liberality, taking pains to gratify my curiosity 
in all ways. I witnessed a burial of one of 
his people, which was very peculiar, to me at 
least. The dead are placed on the surface of 
the ground, which has previously been scraped 
smooth, with the face toward the north-star ; 
twenty days' provisions of food and water are 
placed beside it ; after which the whole is 
covered with a great pile of choyas, which are 
said to keep off wolves and other wild animals. 
The last deposit in the burial-ground had been 
of a gifted Pa-Pagoe, who was executed on a 
charge of sorcery and commerce with evil 



'k 



26Q STATE OF SONOKA. 

spirits : so much credit do all barbarians give 
to this sort of witchcraft. The chief's name 
was " Ochoa." He stood six feet and two inches 
in height ; good-featared, and about thirty-five 
years of age ; and seemed to be aware of the 
ignorance of himself and people. He desired 
to show me a novel mode of hunting, which is 
as follows : For finding deer, his people use a 
preparation of red earth, which they call La 
fior de tierra, or " the flower of earth," which 
resembles red precipitate. It is kept in a bot- 
tle, and possesses a particularly strong odor, pe- 
culiar to the female deer when in heat. On 
arriving at the hunting ground, they unstop 
the bottle — having previously concealed them- 
selves. If any deer are present or near, the 
smell is sure to attract them to the spot, when 
the hunters shoot them, a practice at which 
they are very expert. 

I saw no water on the surface in the vicin- 
ity of Guadalupe ; but water was taken out of 
an arroya, from three different holes about ten 
feet in depth each. The timber here is worth- 
less either for mining purposes or for ma- 
chinery. 



STATE OF SONOEA. 267 



SONI. 



After leaving Guadalupe, I travelled up the 
bed of the arroya about four leagues, the whole 
distance showing signs of a gold-bearing coun- 
try. Going through a pass of the mountain, 
I came to the valley of Soni. Three leagues 
from the pass stands an old gold-mining place 
of the same name. Soni has once been a large 
village, with a considerable population and 
trade. Ruins are standing which show that 
mining was once carried on extensively at this 
place. The only water I found here was a 
well, which supplied the whole population of 
about eighty Indians and Mexicans, who lived 
by gold- washing. The mines in the vicinity 
were under water in their lowest works. 

CABONA. 

From Soni I proceeded southeast to Cahona, 
over a chain of mountains, the road being very 
rough. This is another Pa-Pagoe village, in a 
high state of cultivation, and situate on a 
fine stream of water ; its population is about 
five hundred. It was at this place that the 
unfortunate expedition of Crabb and his con- 



268 STATE OF SONOEA. 

federates was overpowered by the inhabitants 
of this valley, the expedition having entered 
it by the same road I have so lightly sketched. 
Cabona is on the Altar, or San Ignacio river, 
which loses itself some seventy-five leagues 
eastward ; and also on the road from Arizona 
to Port Lobos, from which it is distant only 
forty or fifty miles. South of Cabona some 
good copper-mines have lately been discovered, 
the nearness of which to the coast will make 
them valuable. 

ALTAR. 

Going east I followed the San Ignacio, 
which has some good land not much improved, 
having only a few unimportant ranches on 
the south side. At the end of four leagues I 
arrived at Altar^ on the river, a town of more 
than two thousand inhabitants. This is the 
first Mexican town one encounters coming from 
the north. It is a good resting and recruiting 
place for the traveller, as the living here is 
both inexpensive and good. Fruits are plenty, 
and a large amount of grain is raised. This is a 
presidio, and a garrison is stationed here, quite 
as much to keep the people in subjection as to' 



STATE OF SONOEA. 269 

resist filibuster invasions from California or 
Arizona, the latter being the ostensible pur- 
pose. I was informed that there were gold- 
placers in the neighborhood ; but of this I did 
not personally assure myself 

Five leagues south of Altar is Sienega, a 
stock ranche, better known as an Indian " Mis- 
sion," and where there is a church of passable 
appearance. The interest of the place, how- 
ever, is in its placers, which must have been 
considerable ; and many persons are still em- 
ployed in washing the gold, which is of the 
coarse kind. 

Two leagues southeast of Sienega is Los Fla* 
nos, a plain, which is a gold placer of great 
value. The difficulty has been to get out the 
water, as the gold, which is very coarse, is found 
in quicksands. Machinery and timber are ne- 
cessary to work it to advantage ; the miserable 
means employed by the Mexicans and Indians 
cannot make it very profitable. Timber could 
not be got, probably, except from Guaymas, or 
the head- waters of the Altar river. When 
Port Lobos shall be really opened to naviga- 
"tion and trade, these placers, which extend 
over a hundred miles, will create an excite- 
ment productive of worthy results. The horn, 



270 STATE OF SOKOEA. 

spoon and batea process v/ill then be abolish- 
ed, or resorted to only by the poor and igno- 
rant of the inhabitants, who can do no better. 
These placers have evidently been worked a 
good deal ; but only in this tedious, insufficient 
manner, which produces but slow results. 

Up the Altar river, six miles from the last- 
mentioned place, is Alquitoa, a small village 
of farmers and stock-raisers. Still farther up 
the valley are the placers Atil, Tuhutama, 
Sarie, Busona, and Agua Calient e. The two 
last-named are surrounded by a mountainous 
region, heading toward the " Arrivaca" mines 
of Arizona. These towns are in a pretty good 
agricultural country. Sarie is the place for 
which Raousel de Boulbon had contracted with 
the Mexican government. It is in a fine farm- 
ing country, and every way fitted for a colony. 
In the Spanish times it was cultivated by 
missionaries. , 

Tubutmna is in a very fertile situation, and 
raises great herds of cattle, and large quanti- 
ties of grain and vegetables, which find mar- 
ket in the mines of Arizona. Both sides of 
the San Ignacio are mountainous, and tim- 
bered with woods useful for the builder and 
miner. Veins of silver and lead are to be found 



STATE OF SONORA. 271 

all through these mountains, destined one day 
to greatly enrich this valley ; but never will 
they be rich until they are free from the tyr- 
anny under w^hich they now suffer. In the 
mountains are the evidences of ancient min- 
ing, but of the richness of these mines I can- 
not speak. 

TO HERMOSILLO AGAIN. 

From Altar, to go to Hermosillo in a straight 
line, we must pass through a very dry and 
nearly level country. The distance to Las 
Cruces is twenty-five leagues, passing by the 
Alameda, a small stock-ranche on an arroya 
of the San Ignacio. Water is here procured 
by holes sunk in the bed of the stream. 

Las Cruces, which takes its name from four 
mountains so disposed as to form a cross, is 
fifteen leagues from Alameda, and likewise in 
a dry situation. A represso furnishes water 
for the stock, and a well is used by the people 
of the place. This must have been an exten- 
sive ranche formerly, and still has on it three 
thousand head of cattle. But the horses are 
few, the Indians every year running off a drove 
of horses and mules. Much trouble is had 



272 STATE OF SONOKA. 

with the Indians in this region, the caballa- 
dos being numerous, and the ranches far apart. 
There is, besides, very little travel ; and the 
facilities for escaping into Arizona and New- 
Mexico are so great, that, knowing they will 
not be followed over the frontier by the Mexi- 
cans, they are perfectly audacious in their 
proceedings. 

Taking a southern course for fifteen leagues 
more, I travelled over a dry, barren, sandy, 
God-forsaken country, to La Poza^ a stock 
farm, where water is procured by wells, as the 
name implies, the labor being performed by 
mules, who draw the water up into troughs 
for the cattle. Not far from this place a party 
of Americans were attacked by Apaches, and 
one of their number killed. 

Three leagues south of La Posa is La Noria 
Verde, or Green Well, where the well is shel- 
tered by beautiful green trees, which gives the 
place its name. This is a ranche, owned by 
Don Manuel Inigo, formerly the rich capitalist 
of Sonora, but ruined by the revolution. 

Three more leagues of road bring us to 
Toireon, on the San Miguel, or rather a branch 
of that river ; and from here three leagues to 
Labor, whence we descend the river to Her- 
mosillo. 



STATE OF SONOEA. 273 

ROAD EAST FROM ALTAR. 

From Altar, going east, striking the San 
Ignacio river, and following it, after passing 
the Alameda spoken of before, the road takes 
us forty miles to the Pueblo Santa Ana — 
passing by several ruined or deserted ranches, 
and a few inhabited ones, showing the rava- 
ges of the dreaded Apaches, who combine with 
what a bad government can do to desolate the 
country. 

Santa Ana is a village of six hundred in- 
habitants, who live chiefly by agriculture. A 
large extent of bottom-land is irrigated, and 
yields fine crops of both corn and wheat. The 
fruits common to this part of Sonora are culti- 
vated here in abundance. Only a short dis- 
tance below Santa Ana the San Ignacio loses 
itself in the sand. 

Continuing along the valley, over a luxu- 
riant and well-timbered bottom-land, where 
the mesquit is of an extremely fine quality, 
we pass a small new settlement called Santa 
Martha. Some clearings and other improve- 
ments are going on. Here the soil is admira- 
ble, water plenty, and irrigation easy and 
cheap. 



274 STATE OF SONOKA. 

MAGDALENA. 

Four leagues from Santa Ana is Magdalena^ 
where the Virgin has a shrine held in great 
veneration. Magdalena is a large place, and 
must formerly have been much larger than it 
now is. The same dilapidated look of other 
Mexican towns is noticeable here. Houses in 
ruins, fences badly kept, a church that threat- 
ens to fall down every time mass is said in it, 
dirty streets, and a general appearance of de- 
cay and despair, show the dearth of all energy 
or ambition in Mexico. It needs regenerating 
with new blood. The population of Magda- 
lena is rather transient in its character, as it is 
a place of holy pilgrimages from all parts of 
Northern Mexico — from Sinaloa, all Sonora, 
and from Messilla and Chihuahua. From all 
parts pilgrims gather — some for the remission 
of terrible sins that make the conscience sick, 
others to be cured of wearing or painful dis- 
eases of the body. At the time of the feast of 
the Virgin the roads leading into Magdalena 
are crowded with men, women, and childrea, 
on foot, on horses, and on donkeys. The cun- 
ning Apaches gather in these days a bloody 
and rich harvest of murdered Mexicans ; and 



STATE OF SONOEA. 275 

it not seldom happens that some sinner, goin^ 
to be relieved of a burdened conscience, meets 
a fate as sudden as it is dreaded by the faithful 
Catholic who dares not die unshriven. 

Those who come to Magdalena, no matter 
what their errand, bring money and trade 
along with them, and it is a brisk business 
place, not wanting in amusements. Dancing 
is a principal ingredient in a Mexican's reli- 
gion, as it is in a Shaker's, though the Mexi- 
can's dancing is somewhat the more cheerful. 
The prefect of all this portion of country resides 
at Magdalena ; but the place, notwithstanding 
this fact and its holy character, is the worst a 
stranger can fall into, being full of gamblers 
and horsethieves. The people are not at all 
friendly to Americans, and delight in insulting 
or taking advantage of one in any way they 
can. The population of Magdalena is over one 
thousand. 

There is much farming in this neighborhood. 
Wheat, corn, and fruits are abundant. Grapes 
are largely cultivated, and yield well ; also figs, 
oranges, and pomegranates, which grow to a 
fine size. 

Following up the river ^Ye miles, we come 
to San Ignacio, on the river of that name. It 



276 STATE OF SONOEA. 

has a population of about five hundred, is an 
old town, rather neat, and in a fine situation. 
The inhabitants, moreover, are very polite to 
strangers. Their subsistence is gained by 
agriculture, having very good land about them, 
and plenty of water with it. 

NORTH FORK OP SAN IGNACIO. 

From San Ignacio, two miles up the stream 
bring us to Terrenati^ with a population of 
five hundred, mostly farmers. Two miles 
above this place two small streams unite, to 
form the San Ignacio river. Following the 
northwestern fork of the river, the road lies 
along the creek bottoms. As we advance the 
mountains are getting higher, and the valley 
in some places is confined to the bed of the 
stream. Eighteen miles up we arrive at La 
Cadta, a ranche, and the place where lumber 
is taken out of the mountains for the Hermo- 
sillo market. The timber, which is here con- 
verted into lumber, is white and black oak, 
pine, and cedar; and it is carried the whole 
distance to Hermosillo on wagons. The creek 
bottom at this place furnishes fine grazing, 
and the soil would raise good grain. Popula- 
tion is small. 



STATE OF SONOEA. 277 

Keeping up the stream to its head, we come 
to Agua Sarca, or " spring water." There is 
no settlement here ; but on the west, where 
the stream heads up in the mountains, and 
where, also, the Altar river heads, there is a cel- 
ebrated silver mine called Planchas. It is an 
old mine, in a rich mineral district, but, on ac- 
count of the hostility of the Apaches, is aban- 
doned, and awaiting for better days. 

Passing right over the mountains from 
Agua Sarca, it is thirteen miles to the monu- 
ment which marks the Arizona and Sonora 
line. The monument is close by the Nojales 
Ranche (nojales signifying walnut). Ten 
miles from here is Calabazas^ in the valley of 
Santa Cruz. It is the property of Gandara, 
and is now the residence of an American cus- 
tom officer. . 

EASTERN PRONG OF SAN IGNACIO. 

This fork of the river is better settled than 
the other. Two miles above the junction is 
the town of Imoris, with a population of eight 
hundred, though now greatly inferior to its 
former size, on account of the ravages of the 
Apaches. Every town in this part of Sonora 

12 



I 



278 STATE OF SOXORA. 

shows their devastating traces. Imoris is a 
fine agricultural town, exporting much grain 
to the mines of Arizona. 

Eight miles above this place is Babesagui, a 
ruined village, with an insignificant popula- 
tion. Still higher up the stream is Corespera, 
which was once of some little commercial im- 
portance, made so by the working of the 
neighboring mines. Following the stream to 
its rise, the road takes us on to Santa Cruz, 
an old presidio, on a stream of the same 
name, whence we will turn back toward 
Guaymas. 

ROAD FROM GUAYMAS TO MAGDALENA. 

The distance from Guaymas to Magdalena 
is two hundred and fifty miles. One league 
from the port we pass Bachuchibampa, which 
supplies it with fruit and vegetables. From 
here the road goes over a very uninviting coun- 
try — dry, barren, and covered with the thorny 
bushes of the cactus in every variety — to Ul 
Cabelloj a ranche distant seven; leagues from 
Guaymas. The country here is also very dry, 
and the water for the stock has to be raised 
out of a well. Some grains, in small quantity, 



STATE OF SONORA. 279 

are raised in this ranche in the rainy season. 
Keeping on over the same uninteresting coun- 
try for three leagues more, we come to Noche 
Buena, a place of no importance, except as the 
relayo for stages. The water here is scarce 
and brackish. From this place the pasturage 
is good to La Sieneguita^ a large stock-farm 
owned by Don Francisco Aguilar. The large 
flocks of sheep are tended by Yagui Indians. 
There are some fine cabelladas of horses and 
mules, and large numbers of horned cattle. 
The country is covered with mesquit — being a 
large plain like a valley. On the south side is 
a chain of mountains, dry and barren, but hav- 
ing rich leads of copper. in them, besides silver 
ar^d lead. 

From La Sieneguita the road goes north over 
this plain, crossing an arroya called El Taj on 
de Bota, or " boot-heel creek." After crossing 
this dry creek-bed, we surmount a small rise 
of hills ; and three leagues farther, reach the 
ranche Del Tessal, owned by a Frenchman. 
Besides the stock raised here, some grain 
is grown; but not so much as there might 
be, for the soil is well adapted for' planting. 
The farm is managed by a major-domo, who 
has an interest in the cattle. This major-domo 



280 STATE OF SONOEA. 

is an old man of Indian descent, a strong Gan- 
darista, and fond of telling of the Indian fights 
of his younger days. I passed several very 
pleasant days at his house, and the fare, sim- 
ple, yet excellent, was made far more so by 
the good humor of mine host. 

Crossing some ranges of low hills from La 
Sieneguita, and finding the country similar, 
only with improved grazing as we advance, 
eight leagues of travel bring us to the ranche 
of La Palma. In front of this ranche rises a 
curiously-shaped mountain, which serves as a 
guide to it from a great distance around. Be- 
yond this mountain, toward the northeast, is 
a fine mesquit bottom, in the midst of which 
are some noble fields of corn and wheat. This 
bottom is called the Gargouss, and the water 
is only a foot from the surface. The ^' Palma" 
is the property of Don Juan Buelna, who has 
several large haciendas and ranches in this 
part of the country. The water for the cabal- 
lada is kept in a reservoir, and several wells 
are dug over the place for watering the cattle. 
One hundred peons perform the labor of the 
place, which is quite an important stock- 
farm. The location is valuable, besides, for 
the leads of copper in its vicinity, from one 



STATE OF SONOEA. 281 

of "which great quantities of ore have been 
taken. 

Two leagues south is Lavisadera, or the 
" sign-post," a mine of tesputete, sl flux of the 
silver ores which are found in the vicinity, 
and valuable to future operators in the min- 
erals of this region. 

From La Palma to El Poso, or '' hole," is 
six leagues. This is a well-enclosed hacienda, 
owned by a priest, who keeps large numbers 
of horses and mules. The grass of this place 
is not always sufficient for the animals; and 
then mesquit has to be felled for their subsist- 
ence. Four miles south, among some hills, is 
a represso, where the cattle are kept to be 
watered in the dry season, when everything is 
scorched up at El Paso. 

From El Paso to JEl Posito, a small ranche, 
is three leagues over a very dusty country. 
Four leagues more bring us to El Pueblo de 
Ceres, a suburb of Hermosillo, on the south- 
west side of the Sonora river. The green fields 
at this point form a beautiful and refreshing 
contrast to the barren country we have just 
traversed. Past Hermosillo, and following the 
left bank of the river, the road lies among the 
most delightful verdure. Fruit-trees and wa- 



282 STATE OF SONOEA. 

ving grain are on every side, showing the rich- 
ness of the soil, which is indeed unequalled in 
the world. Nothing is wanting to make it 
produce more than any other hut irrigation, 
as the well-irrigated fields attest. 

The first place of interest is San Juanique, 
at six miles distance from Hermosillo. Just 
before coming to it, the Sonora river parts to- 
ward the southeast, and the San Miguel to the 
northeast. It is the latter river which waters 
San Juanique. The population of this village 
is about four hundred, and the neatness of the 
farms shows its prosperous condition, which is 
everywhere evident. 

Eight miles from here is L'Alamita, the 
road to which is over a beautiful country, with 
a fine soil well cultivated. Here is a flouring- 
mill, which manufactures the best flour in So- 
nora, both for excellence and fineness. It is 
the property of Don Manuel Inigo, spoken of 
before. L'Alamita has a population of three 
hundred, and is a lively, thriving little place, 
in a good situation for future growth. The 
country adjacent produces more grain than 
will supply the mills, and large quantites of 
wheat are exported. 



STATE OF SONORA. 283 



LA JAVALIN. 



Eight miles up the San Miguel brings us to 
La Javalin (wild hog), a fine little place, de- 
pending on the Labor three miles away. The 
Labor, which signifies a place well laid out, or 
nicely worked, is a hacienda for mining ; the 
largest, perhaps, in Sonora. The population, 
including La Javalin, is over six hundred. 
The estate is watered by the San Miguel 
stream, the water being taken everywhere 
that human exertion can take it. Trees, both 
for fruit and ornament, are planted with much 
taste. Good substantial fences of stone or 
wood enclose the grounds. The houses are 
well built, being so placed as to form a hollow 
square, which square is planted with cotton- 
wood trees, making a fine shade. On one side 
of this plaza is the mansion of the owner, with 
a magnificent garden attached. American 
machinery of every kind is used on this haci- 
enda. The property has lately changed hands, 
and now belongs to the judge of the supreme 
court of Sonora ; while La Javalin has become 
the property of Signer Cuvillo, a friend of Pes- 
quiera's. It is said that the wheat crop alone 
markets thirty thousand dollars — this, besides 



284 STATE OF SONOEA. 

a second crop of corn reserved for the peons. 
It is one of the living places of Sonora, and 
does one good to dwell upon, as it proves 
what the spirit of enterprise could accomplish, 
and furnishes an example of both good taste 
and thrift worthy of being followed by the So- 
norenos. As in other instances of a still living 
spirit among the people, it must be stated that 
most of the improvements are due to foreign- 
ers and Americans, some of whom now super- 
intend the estate. 

One league distant from El Labor, up the 
stream, is the farming village of El Torreon, 
with a population of three hundred. From 
Torreon a road goes, in a northwest course, to 
Magdalena, but the usual route is up the San 
Miguel, which course we will follow. 

LA MAGUINA. 

The first four miles bring us to La Maguina 
(the machine), a small manufacturing village. 
Rather, it was a manufacturing village, of 
which this is the history : Don Manuel Inigo, 
at a cost of four hundred thousand dollars, 
employed American m.echanics to put up a 
cotton factory at this place. The mill was a 



STATE OF SONOEA. 285 

success for four years, during which time 
American operatives were kept at work in it ; 
but the Don thinking native labor would do 
as well, made the change, dismissing all the 
foreign employes. This proved, however, a 
fatal mistake — the Mexicans proving unable, 
either by mental quickness, or physical activ- 
ity, to keep up with the requirements of the 
manufacture by modern machinery. Conse- 
quently the mill went down, and four hundred 
thousand dollars were lost, besides teaching a 
good lesson to other Mexicans, desirous, like 
the Don, of showing what Mexican enterprise 
could do. The people of Mexico are lacking 
in the intelligence necessary to make machin- 
ery useful. Hand labor must be practiced 
wherever the common people have never been 
trained to understand mechanical principles, 
and especially where their natural indolence 
forbids their making the effort to understand. 
The village of Maguina has a population of 
three hundred, engaged chiefly in farming, 
which pays well, as the soil is rich. 

SAN MIGUEL DE HONASITAS. 

Three miles above Maguina, on the San 
Miguel, is situated San Miguel de Honasitas, 

12^ 



286 STATE OF SOKOEA, 

and half way between these places is a mine, 
known to the people of the country as Solda- 
dos, or *' soldier's mine," from having been 
opened and worked by soldiers of the old Span- 
ish times. It is reported that great riches 
were extracted from its depths, though now it 
lies silent and desolate. An air of superstition 
surrounds it, so terrible to the people that no 
one now attempts to work it. It is said that 
some attempts have been made from time to 
time, but the miners were always frightened 
away by hearing noises as of soldiers in dire 
conflict, issuing from its subterranean depths. 
The story was told me in the most perfect 
seriousness, and I have no doubt was implicit- 
ly believed by the narrators. It is not unlikely 
that the story at first originated with some 
interested person or persons, who wished to 
reserve the mine's riches for him or themselves. 
However that may be, I do not think Ameri- 
can go-ahead- ativeness would be long deterred 
from exploring it by fear of fighting soldier 
ghosts. The mine is full of rubbish, and will 
have to be cleared, before anything certain can 
be discovered of its comparative richness. It 
is situate on the south branch of the San 
Miguel, in a chain of rough mountains, which 



STATE OF SONOEA. 287 

extend, over a long stretch of country, to the 
Yagui. San Miguel has some fifteen hundred 
inhabitants, a very respectable church, two or 
three flouring mills, and is a tov^n of consider- 
able importance for the country. The mills,, 
hov^ever, do not have the credit of producing 
flour equal to that made at Maguina by a 
Frenchman, v^ho operates the mills at that 
place. 

The country above San Miguel is well set- 
tled, and produces an abundance of wheat. 
The flour makes its way into Arizona, by way 
of Magdalena, and the remainder, or the larger 
part of it rather, goes back to Hermosillo, 
Guaymas, or Alamo, or to Sinaloa and Lower 
California. 

CHUPA SONORA. 

Three leagues above San Miguel is Chupa 
Sonora. " Chupa" is a Yagui word for small. 
It is a ranche, on the north side of the river, 
owned by one Signer Campia, of Guaymas. 
The same gentleman has another ranche three 
leagues from Chupa Sonora, called Tahiqiie. 
This last place has the advantage of constant 
water, a number of springs coming out of 
the ground, forming a pool which is never 



288 STATE OF SOS-OKA. 

quite empty. There are three things of inter- 
est in Chupa Sonora ; one is the Corral de 
Piedra, or " Stone corral," a small ranche, 
where reside the heirs of a Spanish physician, 
whose name and fame are hoth held in grate- 
ful rememhrance — Don Juan Fuerte. The 
" Stone corral" has plenty of permanent water, 
and raises sugar cane and corn. It is a good 
little ranche. 

The second interesting ohject in this neigh- 
horhood is a mine, about four hundred yards 
distant from the ranche. It is of copper, and 
has never been worked. I only prospected it, 
and found it to he a regular vein of three feet 
in width, that can be traced for three quarters 
of a mile. I took out some of the ore, which 
was bright blue and green, and upon assaying 
it, found it to yield thirty per cent, of copper 
and ten per cent, of silver. This must be con- 
sidered a very good mine, and in an excellent 
situation for working — not too far from the 
coast, and in a well-provisioned country, where 
labor need not be too high. A good wagon- 
road leads to Hermosillo and Guaymas, and, 
last but not least, there is plenty of water here 
for mining purposes, which cannot be said of 
many places in Sonora. 



STATE OF SONOEA. 289 

A mile and a half distant is the third won- 
der of Chupa Sonora, being an old mine, called 
the Bat mine. After a careful examination, 
I found it to he a gold and silver mine. I 
made an attempt to explore it with light, but 
without much success, though I penetrated 
more than six hundred yards into the bowels 
of the mountain. The mining had been done 
after the most approved method. Fine galler- 
ies, chambers, shafts, and pillars, denoting 
that the place had once yielded handsomely 
and been systematically worked. I was ar- 
rested in my explorations by the immense 
swarms of bats which continually put out my 
lights, and was finally compelled to abandon 
the idea of penetrating to its last extent and 
finding its plan. I should not think it had 
been entered since the Spanish rule, under 
which it was worked. It will no doubt re- 
main as it is until some adventurous foreign 
company comes, with means to take possession 
of it in the right way — at least, better provided 
with appliances than I was in my exploring 
expedition. 

The Corral de Piedra is on a small creek, 
which we folio v/ down to get to the last-de- 
scribed mine, situate as it is in a ravine. 



290 STATE OF SONOEA. 

Keeping on down this same creek, through a 
valley of excellent land, for two leagues from 
Corral de Piedra, we come to a lone mountain 
toward the south, which stretches its hase 
down to the creek. On the ridge of this 
mountain is a lead of silver and lead, which 
must have been opened at a very remote pe- 
riod. The ore is abundant, and a man could 
take out a ton per day with ease, the vein is 
so soft. I took out three hundred pounds, 
which I sent to a smelting furnace. I found 
the ore to be very rich, giving one third of its 
weight in lead, and twelve per cent, of silver. 
It is a highly fusible ore, requiring no flux 
whatever, but is very poisonous also. It must 
contain large quantities of either arsenic, anti- 
mony, or mercury. Three of my Mexicans 
paid for it with their lives, and I barely es- 
caped myself As it was, I abandoned it. It 
will require furnaces built on a plan that does 
not expose the smelter to the poisonous fumes. 
A furnace, provided with a conductor, to eject 
these fumes into the atmosphere at a proper 
height or distance, under the management of 
a properly-instructed company, would not fail 
to bring forth very profitable results. The 
capital thus invested would make large returns 
without doubt. 



STATE OF SONORA. 291 

One league south of the Corral de las Pie- 
dras, and about one mile south of the road to 
San Miguel, is a silver mine called Los Llanos. 
I went into it to the bottom, about two hun- 
dred yards, at an inclination of forty-five de- 
grees, and took out some ores that were lying 
about, but did not succeed in assaying them. 
The ore appeared to be, and was, old and de- 
cayed. The miners about here give the mine 
the reputation of great richness, but for myself 
I was unable to determine. 

One mile north, up the San Piedras stream, 
are the ruins of an old hacienda. The two 
principal buildings are of hewn stone, very 
well built, and enclosed by a strong wall of 
the same material (granite j^(92:), together with 
about two acres of ground. The strength of 
the place makes it look as if it had been in- 
tended for a fortification. Several furnaces 
are still standing at this place, where the 
" gambusinos" from time to time do a little 
smelting of ores they plunder from the sur- 
rounding mines. The furnaces are of the most 
simple construction, and really not capable of 
reducing the ores brought in, as the large 
piles of half-smelted slags lying all around 
testify. Their quantity, too, shows that this 



292 STATE OF SONORA. 

must have been the head-quarters of the sur- 
rounding country. The strength of the wall 
and of the houses was to prevent robbery, no 
doubt, as the Mexican miners and peons are 
very apt at appropriating whatever they can 
conveniently lay hands on. The "gambusi- 
nos" are ^t present busily engaged in break- 
ing up the slags, which are very rich, and re- 
smeltinof them with fluxes. Sometimes the 
process pays quite well ; and I came to the 
conclusion that the original ore must have 
been rich to have left a fair per cent, still in 
the slags. 

TASAJERA. 

Almost in front of this hacienda a small 
valley opens toward the north. At the dis- 
tance of a mile and a half is a place called 
Tasajera, where the water springs up out of 
the ground. This seems to be an old village, 
and must have had at one time a considerable 
population. It was probably a town of miners 
who were employed in the neighboring mines. 
This city is now silent and in ruins. At a 
little distance is the grave-yard, covering three 
acres of land, and quite filled up with grass ; 
some of the graves arre marked by head-stones, 



STATE OF SONORA. 293 

and some with only wooden crosses. All look 
old and decayed, as if a century might have 
passed since life stirred among those moulder- 
ing relics. A single house in the village has a 
modern look, yet must be quite twenty years old 
from its appearance. This is the way in which 
towns have flourished and passed away again 
in this still new country of Mexico. The val- 
ley here seems to be excellent farming land. 
I followed it up about two leagues, and found 
it wider in this direction, although heading 
toward the mountains. 

MINES AROUND JESUS MARIA. 

At the end of two leagues I came to Jesus 
Maria, a stock-farm, ruined by the Apaches, 
and completely broken up fourteen years ago. 
It was owned by Don Juan Sandovassa, who 
kept here large herds of cattle of the finest 
stock. It is now entirely unoccupied. The 
grazing is good, but water was raised from 
wells by horse-power. The same is true of the 
whole valley in this region, where no wa.ter 
comes to the surface. This is at the head of 
the valley, and the mountains are seen from 
Jesus Maria. The timber of this valley is 



294 STATE OF SONOKA. 

mesquit and iron-wood, both of which are 
abundant. 

A mile and a half west from Jesus Mari4 is 
an old mine called Mina de la Rihoros, or 
" snakes' mine." It has been worked a good 
deal, but only superficially, that is to say, on 
the surface. The ore is what the Mexicans 
denominate " Beseco," or very dry ; though it 
must have paid, j adging from the extent to 
which it has been worked, the diggings ex- 
tending over several hundred yards, and going 
from twenty to fifty feet deep. The name 
which it bears at present is altogether appro- 
priate — snakes having undisputed possession 
of it : nor should I ever wish to contend with 
them for the ownership. A single stone thrown 
into the mine is enough to arouse the hiss and 
rattle of fifteen or twenty of the monsters. 

Southwest from Jesus Mari4 — about one 
league — is another mine, called tlieAntiiiiomcB. 
It is an ore of antimonial lead and silver, very 
easily taken out, and very abundant. I smelt- 
ed some of it, and found it very fusible with- 
out any flux, paying about eight per cent, of 
silver. It is not a rich ore, but this is made 
up by its abundance and ease of extraction. 
A company wishing to invest in a Sonora 



STATE OF SONOEA. 295 

mine, would do well not to overlook this ore. 
It would be a good speculation. The present 
owner, Don Juan Sandovassa, is desirous of 
working it, and will receive communications 
concerning it at San Miguel de Horcasista. 

North from Jesus Mari4, two leagues, is a 
place named Los P almas Quatos, or the " twin 
palm trees," a ranche once prosperous and well 
stocked, but now deserted, having been broken 
up by Apaches. Here, as in most parts of this 
region, the only water was in wells. Three 
leagues north of this is Sanbabi, a stock-ranch e 
once, but now in ruins, as are nearly every 
one in the northern part of the country. Were 
water here on the surface, the land would be 
excellent for farming. The ranche is in the 
midst of a plain, very fertile, furnishing fine 
grazing, and mesquit of a good quality. The 
wells at the farm are yet in good repair, and 
make a convenient halting-place for the ras- 
cally Indians. 

Three leagues farther north is another stock- 
ranche, Querbabi, which keeps about two 
thousand head of cattle, that are watered at a 
"represso." Querbabi is on the main road 
from Magdalena to Hermosillo. It would be 
a good point for a small business, if ever the 



296 STATE OF SONOEA. 

country is opened to trade. Should a railroad 
be built in this portion of Sonora, it must pass 
Querbabi, and from there to Jesus Maria and 
Chupa Sonora, opening a very rich mineral 
country to the light and benefit of modern 
civilization. The route given is very direct 
and available. Not a hill is in the way. In 
case of such a road, this portion of it will sus- 
tain a very heavy population. The country 
will then once more be swarming with cahaU 
ladas, and furnaces will be in full blast on 
every hand. 

COUNTRY AROUND QUEROBABI. 

From Querobabi another road to El Torreon, 
now generally travelled, brings us, after ten 
leagues, to Tabique, a ranche for stock ; and 
from there to El Torreon, on the San Miguel 
river, is about six leagues, over a good wagon- 
road. 

From Querobabi, north, ten leagues, is Bar- 
rajita, or ^' clayish," a mining place, on the 
west side of the road. Gold is here taken out 
of the mountains, ground in arrastras, and 
washed out. It pays very well even by this 
simple process, and I am sure that, with labor- 



STATE OF 60N0EA. 297 

saving machinery, it could be worked with 
great profit. Gold-washing is practised in all 
this neighborhood, but, as water is scarce, the 
operation can only be carried on in the rainy 
season. From Barrajita to Santa Ana, already 
mentioned, on the San Ignacio river, is a dis- 
tance of eight leagues, without water. Santa 
Ana having been spoken of in describing the 
road from Altar to Magdalena, we will turn 
back to the San Miguel, and start up the val- 
ley from that place. 

Going up the river, in a northeast course, for 
five leagues, over fine farming lands, and pass- 
ing two flouring mills in active operation, we 
come to a gap between the mountains, which 
we must surmount. Two leagues from the en- 
trance of the gap is a copper mine, once worked 
by water-power with success. Wood and wa- 
ter are plenty here, as well as ores ; but this 
being a natural road for the Apaches, the 
mines are all abandoned. 

GOLD MINE OF THE ANCIENTS. 

Three leagues farther north, at an angle 
from the river, is a gold mine very remotely 
worked, which the inhabitants of San Miguel 



298 STATE OF SONOEA. 

commonly name La Mina de oro de los An- 
tiguos, " The gold mine of the ancients." It 
was represented to me as de oro puro, or " pure 
gold." I succeeded, in company with a friend, 
in finding it, though at great risk, as Indian 
tracks were plenty. We ascended the moun- 
tain gradually, until, for \he last three miles, 
the rise became very abrupt and difficult. 
When we had succeeded in gaining the en- 
trance, we found it full of water up to within 
forty feet of the surface. I tumbled down 
large pieces of rock, but could hear none of 
them strike the bottom. It must have been 
immensely worked, for the dirt taken out of it 
almost filled a ravine eighty yards deep. 
From the position of the mine, it could be 
easily drained by a tunnel cut in the side of 
the mountain. From piles of the gross ores 
lying scattered around, I selected some which, 
when broken in pieces, showed me gold in a 
virgin state. I was fifteen days in the neigh- 
borhood of this mine, but had no means of 
working its ores. A company with capital 
enough to erect arrastras, after first draining 
it, could make this a splendid property. The 
poor ores outside the mine would probably pay 
for the tunnelling necessary to dry it. But the 



STATE OF SONORA. 299 

Indians would make it impossible to work 
without a large company, or a constant guard 
of soldiers. 

About a mile and a half from this mine, 
passing along the summit of the mountain, 
our progress was arrested by a deep canon. 
The country here is %i deed very rugged. De- 
scending this canon we discovered a silver 
mine. I use the term discovered, because the 
oldest Mexican, on our description of it, de- 
clared entire ignorance of its existence. This 
was a special mine, and worked in a particular 
manner. The lead was perpendicular, opening 
at the canon. The ore has been all taken out 
for more than three hundred yards into the 
mountain, from top to bottom, giving the exca- 
vation the appearance of a rent in the moun- 
tain. In some places the lead was very 
narrow, not wider than a man's shoulders. 
How the miners had ever got out the ore, 
quarrying and removing it, I could not dis- 
cover. A mile away I found the old arrastra 
still standing. There was plenty of water 
here, and piles of ores already broken up 
ready to be ground. I did not test the ore, 
which looked good. It must have been aban- 
doned many years ago, and very suddenly, as 



300 STATE OF SOKOEA. 

every appearance warrants such a conclu- 
sion. 

Three leagues up the San Miguel is a village, 
with some fields of sugar-cane, corn, and 
wheat. Three leagues to the south of it is the 
Real de Alameda, situate on a creek of run- 
ning water. L' Alameda^ an old real de mino, 
or mining settlement, the mines of Alameda 
being prominent enough to make it a corpora- 
tion. They are of silver, and very numerous, 
which once made this a flourishing place. 
They are still worked to some extent ; but the 
Indians do so much mischief, not allowing the 
people to keep any cattle or to go abroad, that 
not much can be done for them. The most re- 
nowned of the mines now worked, is one called 
Del Bajio ('' low, flat mine"), under the ope- 
rations of Don Francisco Campia & Co. The 
most inferior ore pays '' dos mar cos cada buttos,''^ 
or two marks to the butto of nine hundred 
pounds. " El metal de prijnera da de diez 
ochos a viente dos marcos el butto ;" or " the 
first-class metal, pays eighteen to twenty-two 
marks to the butto." Del Bajio is about two 
hundred feet deep, and though the ore is so 
rich, the cost of taking out the water is a great 
drawback. It is carried out in leather bags, 



STATE OF SONOEA. 301 

on the backs of peons, and considering that the 
mine is very deep, and that they are not pro- 
vided with ladders, but only escaleras, or 
notched poles, and that these poles are slippery 
with water, it is rather wonderful that the feat 
of emptying a mine of water is accomplished 
at all. Yet such is the disadvantage of labor 
in these Mexican mines. Several other mines 
are worked in the neighborhood ; some of 
which are amalgamated, and others reduced 
by fire. By far the largest number are aban- 
doned, for lack of energy and means to keep 
them open. But a large community in future 
will, no doubt, live upon the produce of these 
neglected deposits of wealth. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE AMALGAMATION PROCESS. i 

The process of amalgamation is called here 
" el fondoj^ and I shall now proceed to describe 
it with minuteness. The ore, after having 
been cleansed from impurities, is carefully 
broken up into pieces of about the size of wal- 
nuts. Sometimes the ores are separated into 
classes of first, second, and third qualities. 
The ore, after being broken, is put into the 
arrastra, and ground very fine. After this pul- 

13 



302 STATE OF SONOKA. 

verization it is mixed with salt, in this wise : 
for ordinary ore, one pound of salt to fifteen of 
ore, and for first-class ores, one pound of salt 
to every five of ore. The mixture is then put 
into a large copper kettle, and boiled over a 
slow fire, stirring it continually. The boiling 
is kept up for eight hours, when quicksilver is 
added in the following proportions : Say, if 
fifty pounds of ores are boiling in the kettle, 
one pound of quicksilver is added at first, let- 
ting it still boil, and stirring it as before. As 
fast as the quicksilver is taken up, add more, 
always in small quantities, so as to test the 
richness of the ore, and at the same time to 
avoid using more than is necessary. Continue 
boiling and stirring as long as the amalgama- 
tion (this term is applied to the mixture in the 
kettle) is of the natural color — this being a 
sign, that the process is not complete. This 
varies, however, according to the class to 
which the ore belongs ; but, generally, from 
twenty to twenty-four hours is all that is 
necessary. When the amalgamation changes 
to a yellow or cream color, it is proof that the 
process is complete. At this stage quicksilver 
enough is to be added to liquidate all the 
small, detached particles of amalgam. The 



STATE OF SONOEA. 303 

amalgamation is then taken out to be washed 
free from all particles of §and or any foreign 
matter. This washing is performed in a kind 
of half-barrel tub, called " tina," standing on 
poles. When washed, the amalgam is ready 
for the retort. The retort is commonly a flask 
with a hole bored in the bottom. It is filled 
with amalgam, and the top carefully stopped 
with fire-clay. A tube is fixed to the orifice 
which has been made in one end of the retort, 
and the quicksilver conducted through this 
into a reservoir of cold water. The loss of 
quicksilver by this process is from ten to twelve 
per cent. This is considered the shortest 
method of beneficiating the ores of silver, but 
requires great care and practice in the operator, 
to avoid being poisoned by the fumes. -/^ 

(This word beneficiating is not an English 
word, though use will soon make it so. It is 
derived from a Latin word signifying " to real- 
ize," and is extensively used both in Spanish 
and French. In speaking of ores, it is a com- 
mon term, signifying their separation from 
their fluxes or amalgams.) 

Next I shall describe the patio process. The 
patio is a large level area, paved with stones 
cemented together by lime, and surrounded by 



304 STATE OF SOXOKA. 

a wall of masonry. On one side there is gene- 
rally a reservoir, to receive the ground ore as 
it comes from the stamps, or the arrastra, as 
the case may be. This reservoir is well ce- 
mented, and is called " pila," or a vat, which 
it really is. In this the ground ore is left to 
simmer, and evaporate the water it may con- 
tain. 

When the ore is first taken out of the mine 
it is in a state of mud or mortar, and is put 
into the patio in tortas, or mounds, several of 
which are worked at the same time, either by 
mules or oxen, the cloven hoof of the latter 
being most effective in stirring and mixing the 
mud. The cattle are fastened in a row to a 
horizontal pole, and kept going around and 
around a stake which stands in the middle of 
the torta or mound of ore, until it is reduced 
to a perfectly smooth paste. The dirt is then 
mixed with salt in the proportion of two " ar- 
robas," or fifty pounds, to each " butto" of nine 
hundred pounds. It is then generally left at 
rest for twenty-four hours, before the quicksil- 
ver is added. Alter mixing it again, in the 
same way as before, the quicksilver is put in, 
in the proportion of fifteen pounds to the whole 
torta, and it is stirred and mixed afresh. If 



STATE OF SONORA. 305 

the ore is of the class called ^^frio,^^ or cold 
ores, the amalgam will show a dark, heavy 
color, and an addition of " magistral" becomes 
necessary. Magistral is a poor, coarse, copper 
ore, ground to a powder, and one quarter of its 
weight in salt added, besides its equal bulk of 
horse-dung, the whole thoroughly mixed and 
pulverized. To prepare it, the mixture must 
be put into a kettle, over a small fire, and well 
stirred meanwhile. To test it, a little is 
dropped in cold water, which will assume the 
color of urine. Care and experience are neces- 
sary to learn its preparation successfully. 
This magistral is added to the amalgam of 
^' cold ores,'' a little at a time, until the amal- 
gam assumes the natural color of the quick- 
silver. If the ore is '' caliente," or hot, the 
amalgam will present a bright, Toamiog, spark- 
ling appearance. It is then necessary to add 
lime^ in small quantities, until the amalgam 
assumes its proper color. 

On the same patio several such '' tortas" are 
worked at the same time — often as many as 
twenty, sometimes more, each worked by from 
ten to sixteen mules or oxen. The patio is 
understood to be uncovered, as the heat of the 
sun's rays is one of the principal agents in the 



306 STATE OF SONOEA. 

good amalgamation of the ores of silver. In 
large mines, sometimes, several patios stand 
side by side, all protected from the outside by 
a strong, high, stone wall, as well to keep in 
the natural heat as to secure it from robbers. 
The length of time which the amalgam must 
remain in the patio varies according to the 
quality of the ore and the temperature of the 
weather. Of course, as in the " fondo" pro- 
cess, the quicksilver is added in small quanti- 
ties from time to time, until the amalgam 
begins to get sluggish, heavy, and foaming — 
a sign that it is sufficiently mixed. It is 
proved by washing a small quantity. If ready, 
quicksilver is again added, to well collect all 
the amalgam, after which the whole under- 
goes a washing. For this purpose a basin of 
well-built masonry, rather funnel-shaped, has 
been erected, with a small aperture at the bot- 
tom, the amalgam being put in at the top, 
which is subsequently stopped. In this basin 
the mixture is sometimes stirred by a peon, 
who goes in nearly naked. Others are fitted 
with a small frame- work inside, to which are 
fastened revolving arms, the arms carried 
around by horse-power. The washing, when 
done by human labor, is very dangerous, and 



STATE OF SONOEA. 307 

would not be allowed anywhere but in Mexi- 
co. After the washing the amalgam is retort- 
ed, the same as in the first process. It is then 
cast into bars, stamped on one side with the 
value, and sent off to the mint. 

In the last-described process the amalgam is 
commonly put into conical bags, with an open- 
ing at the base, made of three or more thick- 
nesses of canvas, or sometimes of buckskin, 
and the quicksilver squeezed out as much as 
it can be, before retorting. 

CALCINATION OF ORES. 

Some of the ores, of both silver and copper, 
require calcination before being either smelted 
or amalgamated. Calcination, or, in Mexican 
dialect, " quemar," is applied to those ores 
which are ^' rebeldes," or refractory to treat. 
Ores highly sulphurous or arsenicous are, par- 
ticularly, treated in this way. Some ores, in 
fact, cannot be reduced without first being 
calcined three or four times successively. To 
do this, a square or round kiln, three or four 
feet high, is walled with loose stones, and a. 
small opening left as a draught and at which 
to light the fire in the " or no," or pit. The 



>- 



308 STATE OF SONOEA. 

bottom of the pit is then covered with wood 
to the depth of one foot, green wood being pre- 
ferred. On top of the wood is placed coarse 
charcoal, and fine charcoal over that. The 
ores, either broken or ground, as required, are 
then spread over the whole, and the fuel be- 
neath ignited. The top of the kiln has been 
previously rendered air-tight by a plaster made 
of the fine ore, the porousness of the -unmor- 
tared stones allowing a sufficient draft for the 
fire. If the " orno" is properly built and ar- 
ranged, the first calcination will last through 
a week. When the operation is complete it is 
known by the cessation of the smoke and gases 
which have been escaping from the pit. The 
ore is then taken out and examined, and the 
largest lumps are broken up again for a second 
. calcination. That part of the ore which is 
considered sufficiently reduced is then put 
apart to be amalgamated ; or, if it is to be 
smelted, is mixed with two thirds its own 
quantity of more reducible ores for smelting. 
Sometimes, when the ore is very " rebelde," 
three or four calcinations are necessary to expel 
the chemical agents which it contains. Calci- 
nation is sometimes performed in a reverbera- 
tory furnace, when from eighteen to twenty- 



STATE OF SONORA. 309 

four hours of a moderate heat is sufficient to 
calcine the ores. Sometimes, also, a square 
cavity is made in the side of a hill, which, by 
enclosing on one side, makes an inexpensive 
kiln or furnace. 

SEPARATION OF SILVER FROM COPPER. 

Many of the mines of Sinaloa, Chihuahua, 
and Sonora, are leads of copper-bearing silver, 
these ores oftentimes containing lead. Where 
this is the case, it is obvious that they must be 
reduced by smelting for copper, or lead, which- 
ever is most abundant. After the cakes are 
smelted, then the reduction for silver com- 
mences. In my description of the Bachuera- 
cJii mine, I gave some account of the way in 
which copper ore is commonly smelted. I now 
suppose the slabs or cakes of copper to contain 
silver, a certain quantity of lead having been 
added to the cake, making an amalgam of 
copper, lead, and silver. A common adobe 
furnace is built, with a fire-place and ash-pit, 
as required. A platform is placed over the 
furnace, on which a number of the cakes are 
placed side by side. Fire is then gradually 
applied to the furnace. The lead soon begins 

13'^ 



310 STATE OF SONOEA. 

to run, carrying with it the silver, rendered 
very fusible by its affinity for lead. After 
some hours of moderate heat the silver and 
lead will all have been reduced to a liquid 
state, while the copper, harder to melt, remains 
like the skeletons of the former cakes, in large, 
spongy-looking masses. The lead is then run 
into moulds, and the silver extracted by an- 
other process, which I will describe hereafter. 
If, instead of the copper being the predomi- 
nant metal in the mixed ore, the principal one 
is silver, which has only enough copper to 
alter its market value, then the following pro- 
cess is employed to separate them, or, more 
properly, to cleanse the silver from its impuri- 
ties, let them be either copper or iron. In 
refining silver, when it is nearly at the point 
where it should be run off, the presence of cop- 
per is "made evident by the crimson color of 
the bath. It is then necessary to add metallic 
lead in quantities sufficient to run off from the 
surface the foreign ore, whatever it may be. 
To determine the quantity of lead, the color of 
the bath must be observed, and lead must be 
added until it assumes its natural hue, when 
the silver has been quite purified, the copper 
having been carried off by the lead. The sil- 



STATE OF SONOEA. 311 

ver is then run into bars, as usual in other 
cases. 

There are great quantities of copper ore in 
the country which have never been worked for 
transportation — enough to make, at some not 
distant day, a great revenue, and to stimulate 
trade and industry to a very high degree of 
activity. In the present condition of the 
country, the reduction of copper ores has been 
but little thought of or attended to. This 
metal is worth only eleven dollars a hundred 
pounds in Mexico, and consequently it has not 
been thought worth while to work any but the 
very richest leads, such as yielded a hundred 
per cent. It is only of late years that the 
owners of the Bachuerachi mine, on the Fuerte 
river, have commenced the exportation of cop- 
per to England. I predict the day when the 
Gulf of California will export twenty million 
pounds of refined copper per annum. This 
will bring a yearly revenue of four millions of 
dollars, leaving out entirely the per cent, of 
gold the copper has contained, which, in nearly 
all cases, will have been something. 



312 STATE OF SQNOEA. 

COMMON SMELTING PROCESS OF SILVER ORES. 

In the smaller mines of Sonora smelting is 
carried on in fornaces, or '' fundiciones," built 
of adobe, or sun-dried bricks. These are made 
of common clay, with a mixture of fire-clay, 
and are a cheap substitute for real brick. If 
the fire-clay is good, a furnace may stand for 
three or four weeks, but in most cases they 
last only Rye or six days, and a new lining 
has to be fitted as soon as the old one is 
melted. 

These furnaces are worked by a bellows 
kept going by man-power, in the shape of a fat 
Indian — a very expensive and irregular way of 
keeping up a blast. The wind of these bellows 
is introduced into the furnace by means of 
badly-shaped " alcrevices," or tubes, cast in this 
country, in common clay moulds, by native 
artists, who are, besides, often quite expert in 
casting bells and "fondos," or kettles. The 
bottom of the furnace is composed of fine, 
sifted clay, well stamped and pounded. Char- 
coal is the fuel used. The ore, after first being 
taken out of the mine, is crushed or broken up, 
as elsewhere described in other processes. 
When reduced to the required size, it is taken 



STATE OF SONOKA. 313 

out to the '' rebottura." This is a box over 
which the ore is laid in successive layers, this 
wise : one third of ore to two thirds of " sco- 
ria," this last being chosen from the richest 
and most fluxibJe ores. To these is added 
" greta," a crude metal of lead mixed with a 
small portion of iron. This being very fusible, 
acts as a flux, and helps the ore to smelt and 
liquidize. If the ore is very refractory, '' tes- 
putete" is sometimes added. This is a black, 
shining, heavy substance, an excellent flux, 
running like water. When at hand, it will 
cause the hardest ores to smelt. Another flux 
for silver ores is '' arrenilla." This is a kind 
of spongy ore, easily reduced to a powder, and 
very liquifying, being an excellent flux. An- 
other one still, is the " bronce," only used in 
extreme cases, when the ores have resisted all 
other fluxes. It is a bright, shining substance, 
found in deep silver mines. All these fluxes 
cost nothing but their extraction and carriage. 
They are used in such quantities as seem 
necessary upon trial. A little experience will 
enable the operator to decide upon the propor- 
tion. 

The ores thus mixed are cast into the fur- 
nace by measure or weight — one batea of ore 



314 STATE OF SOK^OKA. 

alternating with one of charcoal, though, if 
any difference is made, it is by lessening the 
quantity of charcoal. The operators necessary 
to work a furnace are a " smelter" and a 
" charger." Sometimes one hand does the 
work of the other, or does both at the same 
time, the smelter being his own charger. 

If the ore is rich in lead, as many as eight 
to twelve " planchas," or slabs of metal are 
taken out daily, the slabs or cakes being yet to 
be refined, '' af&anada." This refining is car- 
ried on in a kind of reverberating furnace, also 
built of adobe, with wood for fuel. The fur- 
nace has a fire-place, from which the blaze 
and heat pour over the bath at an inclination 
of thirty "five degrees. The bellows, which is 
put in sideways, plays right over the bath, the 
current of air driving the lead on the sur- 
face toward the opening where it is taken 
out by the "affiandor." The consumption of 
the atmospheric air has chemically caused the 
separation of the silver and lead, the silver re- 
maining at the bottom of the " vaso," or smelt- 
ing chamber. This process requires from three 
to four hours, and requires experience to con- 
duct it with success. 



ARIZONA. 



AEIZONA AND ITS MINES. 



While I write this sketch of Arizona, the 
subject of its organization as a territory is 
being agitated, looking forward to a future 
when it shall be a state. It lies north of the 
states of Chihuahua and Sonora, and first came 
under notice as the Gadsden Purchase. Tt is 
also erroneously called, in the public prints, 
the Messilla Valley. This Messilla, it is true, 
is a very important portion of Arizona, but is 
only a narrow strip of the territory lying on 
the west side of the Eio Grande. It comprises 
sojQie good farming lands, and has been until 
now the best populated portion of Arizona. It 
is settled by Mexicans chiefly. West of the 
Rio Grande is a chain of mountains, running 
north and south, called " Los Miembres," 
which have a very marked appearance, indi- 
cating the presence of gold and silver in their 
rugged, cavernous depths. South of this chain 
is the mountain known as Santa Rita del 
Cahre, out of which large quantities of copper 



318 ARIZONA. 

have been taken, even before the purchase. 
This copper found a market in Chihuahua, 
where it sold readily ; and, as Chihuahua used 
to furnish the city of Mexico with this metal, 
no doubt some of the Arizona copper found its 
way thither. The ore of Santa Rita was rich 
and very abundant, and reputed to contain a 
fair per cent, of gold. However, this is what 
is said of all copper ; and, though I never suc- 
ceeded in extracting any, it is but right I 
should hold my peace when others say they 
can. 

West of the Rio Grande the country is made 
up of high plains, sandy and grassy alternately. 
Timber is scarce. On the plains there is none, 
unless the ground mesquit, whose roots make 
a very good fire, can be called such. Follow- 
ing the boundary line of Chihuahua, no settle- 
ments are met with until we strike the Santa 
Cruz and Sonorita rivers. The overland mail 
has a pretty continuous line of stations, in the 
best situations. Wells are dug at most of 
these, as water in streams is seldom found in 
any portion of the territory. The stations will 
be found named in the table of distances in 
the Appendix. 

North, toward the line of New-Mexico, 



ARIZONA. 319 

where we encounter the head waters of the 
Gila and its tributaries, is a high, rugged, and 
mountainous region, furnished in some places 
with fine oak and pine timber, and in others 
with an abundant growth of mescaL These 
mountains are the hiding-places of the thiev- 
ing Apaches, who, from these mountain fast- 
nesses, pounce down upon the settlements of 
Arizona and Sonora, and out of which it will 
be hard to drive them. Nothing, however, but 
extermination will ever change their thieving 
and murderous propensities. The settlers of 
Arizona are loud in their denunciations of gov- 
ernment, in taking so little care for their pro- 
tection. Making all due allowance for exag- 
geration in their complaints, the force now in 
the territory is really quite inadequate to their 
secure possession of life or property. At the 
same time, the humanity of the government, 
in using every justifiable means to save the 
Indians from their really inevitable doom, 
ought not rashly to be condemned. It is, how- 
ever, my conviction, knowing the indolence of 
the Indians, and the poverty of the country 
which they inhabit, that the government will 
soon discover the powerlessness of any other 
means than a heavy chastisement, to stop 



320 ARIZONA. 

their inroads upon the settlements, and cure 
them of their disposition to cowardly and cold- 
hlooded murder. 

Apache pass, so called from its heing the 
point at which they issue from the mountains 
to make their incursions into Sonora, is situate 
about half way between Tueson and El Paso, 
east of the San Pedro. 

Crossing over a chain of mountains to the 
southeast, I came to a tributary of the Gila, 
called the San Simona, along which is some 
fine farming land. The tract is not extensive, 
but is well watered, and has an abundant 
growth of mescal. It is, however, a camping- 
ground of the Apaches, some of the tribes 
always being found here ; and no matter 
whether they be Miembres, Mescaluros, Co- 
yotes, or Finals, they are equally ready to 
commit a treacherous murder or to steal the 
animals of the unsuspecting traveller, who, 
seeing nothing of them, believes them far 
away. 

From the San Simona, going northwest, I 
went round a high-peaked mountain, and 
came upon an extensive sienega abounding in 
rattlesnakes. This being the dryest season of 
the year, they had probably come here for 



AEIZONA. 321 

water. Forty or fifty miles northwest of this 
marsh I struck the bend of the Gila river. At 
this bend a ditch had been cut for irrigation, 
and there were fine groves of oak and ash on 
both sides of the river. The channel at this 
place is forty or fifty yards wide, and is forda- 
ble at many places. The water had a brack- 
ish taste to me ; but I am an epicure in this 
particular, enjoying pure, fresh water more 
than most persons, and accepting it as a good 
gift of God. 

The ditch spoken of had irrigated many 
fields, and the country all around showed 
traces of a past cultivation. I met with the 
ruins of several stone houses of a very good 
construction, some of them looking like fortifi- 
cations. Going down the river, I observed 
that there were only here and there narrow 
strips of fertile land, the rest being all unfit 
for agriculture. The San Pedro river, whose 
mouth I crossed, rises in Sonora, out of that 
chain of mountains which divide Sonora from 
Arizona ; and near its source are considerable 
mineral resources, of which I shall speak 
hereafter. The valley of the San Pedro is 
mostly a grazing country, though a few grain- 
fields might be made in some portions of it. 



322 ARIZONA. 

The Bahacomero^ a deserted ranclie, on the 
western prong of this river, has water in ahun- 
dance for machinery or irrigation, and is a 
valuable property, or would he if the Indians, 
who prevent its being occupied, could be 
driven away from its neighborhood. 

The San Pedro is a considerable stream, the 
largest of Arizona, except the Rio Grande and 
Gila. Below the junction of the San Pedro 
and Gila, the latter comes -out of the moun- 
tains, and enters the plains. On the south 
side are the ruins of a large white house, 
called " Casas Grandes," or big houses. It is 
some three miles from the river, and of very 
antique appearance. It is one of the monu- 
ments of the country ; yet very little do these 
monuments afford of its history. The only 
thing in them which the antiquarian can find 
to aid his researches, are some broken pieces of 
that kind of pottery used by the Indians and 
Mexicans. The Indians pretend to believe 
that these houses were built by the Aztecs, in 
the time of Montezuma. I am inclined to 
think, however, that this idea has been im- 
parted to them by some curious travellers, or, 
perhaps, by the Jesuit missionaries, who once 
held sway over all the Mexican Indians, wild 
Apaches with the rest. 



AKIZONA. 323 

All the land around " Casas Grandes" must 
have been irrigated, as there is no water short 
of a mile, and it is improbable that water was 
carried this distance by hand. Besides, the 
country evidently was under cultivation, as it 
is at the Pimos villages, twenty miles lower 
down the Gila. These villages, which cover 
the whole of fifteen thousand acres, are exten- 
sive farms, in a high state of cultivation, and 
are irrigated from the Gila. The Pimos and 
Maricopas Indians are in quite an advanced 
stage of civilization, own these villages, and 
raise stock, wheat, corn, beans, pumpkins, and 
some very fine-flavored watermelons. These 
Indians have been useful in furnishing grain 
to the United States troops and overland mail 
company, and deserve praise for their services 
to the California emigrants, whom they have 
met on the road with provisions, in many 
cases. They are very friendly tribes, giving 
their protection when needed against the war- 
like Apaches. 

Between the Pimos villages and the junc- 
tion of the Gila and Colerado, there are some 
fine valleys, where good settlements might be 
made. Even Indian culture produces good 
crops on this soil, and with irrigation and the 



324 ARIZONA. 

superior tillage of the whites, the products 
would be almost marvellous. A few thousand 
farmers would find desirable locations here. 
South of the Gila, the soil, when irrigated, 
yields all kinds of crops in luxuriant abun- 
dance. At the junction, on the south side, is 
located Arizona city. This is the head of pres- 
ent navigation on the Colerado river. If ever 
the mines of Arizona realize the anticipations 
of its friends, this place cannot fail of being 
an important point for trade. 

ROAD TO FORT BUCHANAN. 

Arizona city is two hundred miles below the 
Pimos and Maricopas villages. Opposite Ari- 
zona city, on the north side of the Colerado, 
and in Upper California, is Fort Yuma. These 
places are seventy-five miles distant from the 
mouth of the Colerado, though by the river 
route it is twice as far. The lines of Arizona 
and Sonora meet about twelve miles below 
Arizona city. Below this point, to its mouth, 
the Colerado is the boundary line of Lower Cal- 
ifornia and Sonora. The overland mail route 
to California goes by Arizona city and the 
Pimos villages, following the irrigable valley 



ARIZONA. 325 

land of the river Gila. There are no other 
settlements on the road, except the mail sta- 
tions. 

From the Pimos villages southward, ninety 
miles, to Tucson, there are no settlements ex- 
cept the mail stations. The names of the sta- 
tions are Saketon, Soldier''s Grave, Bluewater, 
Picachee, and Point-of- Mountain. This last 
is eighteen miles from Tneson in the Santa 
Cruz valley, one of the most fertile in Arizona. 
The Santa Cruz stream does not flow into the 
Gihi, but sinks a short distance below Tueson. 
Tueson is an old Mexican town, with many 
Americans settled in it, and is the centre of a 
little trade, made by the overland mail route. 
From Tueson to the mission of San Xavier is 
eight miles, southeast, following the valley of 
the Santa Cruz. The mission is on a small 
eminence, which gives a beautiful view down 
the valley. It is under the entire control of 
the Papagoes Indians, who own and farm it. 
The church is a building of fLwe architectural 
finish, as I esteemed it, and my judgment was 
confirmed by that of a Catholic priest from the 
Ilio Grande, v/ho was on a tour. He pro- 
nounced it the finest building on the Pacific 
slope of Northern Mexico. It is furnished 

1 



326 ARIZONA. 

with handsome and costly ornaments, and the 
Papagoes keep it in good repair. No priest 
resides here, but occasionally one comes 
to preach. It is reported that the Papagoes 
have great treasure buried and hidden, belong- 
ing to the mission. 

Four miles below the mission, past small 
but rich valley farms, we come to Punta de 
CAgua, where the waters of the Santa Cruz 
river rise again ; for it is above this place that 
they lose themselves in the sand the first 
time, after which they rise at Punta de I'Agua, 
run to below Tueson, and sink again forever. 
Punta de I'Agua is owned by an enterprising 
German, who has a comfortable residence in a 
desirable situation, and, most of all, a truly 
amiable lady for his wife. This is one of the 
few places in Arizona where a traveller may 
find a good, old-fashioned meal of ham and 
eggs, butter and milk. 

Pursuing the same direction for ten leagues 
up the same stream, we come to Canoa 
Ranche, a place owned by Mr. Richard Dorse, 
an old pioneer, known to many of his country- 
men. He has a good stock of horses, cattle, 
and hogs, a good house, and plenty of grain 
for the accommodation of travellers. The only 



ARIZONA. 327 

want about his establishment is the presence 
of a female companion as amiable as himself. 
As yet ladies are very scarce in Arizona. 

Five leagues farther up the valley is the 
ranche of Reve7iton, owned by Mr. Brevoort, 
who has a fine residence on good land ; good 
water, too, but not enough for irrigation. 
There are six hundred head of cattle on this 
place, which is in a good state of improvement, 
and bids fair to become one of the finest in the 
territory of Arizona. Three leagues from here, 
up the river, is Tubac^ the largest farming vil- 
lage in this territory. A good deal of grain 
and fruit are raised here. The place looks old 
and by no means inviting. Of its two hun- 
dred inhabitants, a large proportion belong to 
the class known as " hard cases." 

Up the stream from Tubac is Calahazas, a 
stock-farm, with good buildings and a good 
corral. This is another piece of property be- 
longing to Gandara, who has the credit of 
making the first settlement in Arizona. When 
Calabazas was built, in 1850 or '52, the In- 
dians were doubly hostile to what they now 
are, since the American garrisons at Fort Yuma 
and Fort Buchanan overawe them. The corral 
at Calabazas, which encloses four acres, is 



328 AEIZONA. 

walled with adobe, about four feet in height, 
and is strong and well made. At one time 
Gandara had here five thousand head of sheep, 
and cattle in large numbers. This ranche is 
situate on the main Arizona road to Hermo- 
sillo and Guaymas, and is only six miles from 
the line of New-Mexico. On the line is an- 
other stock-farm, called Nojales, in a fine little 
valley very well adapted to farming and stock- 
raising. Nojales is on the road that goes 
through Casita, San Ignacio, and Magdalena. 
Farther up the valley are some farms in agree- 
able situations, and still more places where 
comfortable homes might be made. 

It is eight leagues from Nojales to Santa 
Cruz in Sonora, in the same valley. Santa 
Cruz has a population of six hundred people, 
principally formers, who raise corn, potatoes, 
and veo;etables. There is one flourinof mill in 
the place. The grazing in . the valley is A^ery 
fine ; but the Apaches have cleared out the 
stock pretty efiectually. The stream here 
heads into Arizona again, its rise being only a 
few miles away. 

Taking the old emigrant route toward the 
east, we come to the ranche of San Pedro, 
also in Sonora. About San Pedro is some good 



AJilZONA. 



329 



land, and excellent grazing. The state of 
Sonora keeps a garrison of twenty men at this 
place to keep the Indians in check, but little 
enough is the good they do. Santa Cruz once 
had a garrison, when it was a presidio ; and 
there was more land formerly cultivated than 
now, at this place. An old ruined church, 
broken and falling, reminds us that we are in 
a broken and ruined country. Going from 
Santa Cruz to Fort Buchanan, our road takes 
us north, over a spur of the Santa Cruz moun- 
tains. Fifteen miles away is Camp Jecker, in 
a very pleasant spot, the present headquarters 
of the survey of Sonora. In the mountains, 
half a mile away, and seven thousand feet 
above the level of the gulf water, is the Pata- 
gonia mine. Twenty miles beyond Camp 
Jecker is Fort Buchanan, where two hundred 
United States troops are garrisoned. 

FORT BUCHANAN. 

Fort Buchanan is situated on the head 
waters of the Sonorita. The valley is a fine 
location in some respects, but unhealthy. The 
fort, however, has a pleasant look, being sur- 
rounded by oak groves and the verdure of the 



330 ARIZONA. 

valley. From here the Sienegas station of the 
overland mail is about thirty-five miles distant. 
Four miles down the valley is the United 
States and Boundary Hotel, or, as it is some- 
times called, the White House ; and five miles 
farther down is the residence of Mr. Words- 
worth, the largest business man of Sonorita. 
Another two miles away, down the valley, is 
the little farm of Mr. Ashes ; while two more 
miles bring us to Mr. Ward's ranche for stock 
and grain raising. Beyond this, four miles, is 
the Marshall farm, a property that was first 
owned by Mr. Wm. Thompson, of Texas, an 
old pioneer. This farm is a good piece of land, 
with something like an orchard on it. Two 
miles below is the residence of Mr. Penning- 
ton, formerly of Texas ; aud four miles farther 
is the home of Captain Sharp, of the Mexican 
war, with a good farm. Not far below this 
point the Sonorita loses itself in the Santa 
Cruz valley. 

MINERAL RESOURCES OF ARIZONA. 

I would be glad to pass over this part of my 
task, were it not that I might be accused of 
intentionally omitting to mention what little 



ARIZONA. 331 

I know upon the subject. As it is, I will give 
what information I can for the benefit of the 
curious or interested reader. 

In a small chain of mountains west of La 
Masilla^ is the old Stephenson mine, said to 
have yielded handsomely. It is in a favorable 
situation, being near to the settlements. Its 
owner I am not acquainted with. Next is the 
Santa Rita copper mine, said to contain a per 
cent, of gold. The ore of this mine has the 
advantage of smelting easily, which is a desid- 
eratum, as copper ores are usually very hard 
to smelt. 

There are numerous mines on the head 
waters of the San Pedro, but as yet unworked. 
By far the most valuable of them head in So- 
nera, and are already treated of in my chapter 
on that state. They are of copper, silver, and 
lead, all frequently in the same vein ; but the 
Apaches render it dangerous to work them at 
present. 

In the Santa Cruz mountains are several 
mines, some of which have been worked for 
many years. Among these is the Empire mine, 
not one of the first class. The Montezuma is 
one whose ore is copper, with some lead and a 
little silver. These two are only a few miles 



332 ARIZONA. 

from Santa Cruz in Sonora. With the mine of 
the St. Louis company I am unacquainted. 

The Patagonia mine is situate about half a 
mile from the camp of Capt. C. P. Stone's com- 
mission. The ore is lead and silver, but the 
mine is in the hands of those who have very 
little practical knowledge of mining, and is 
very badly managed. It is in a good situa- 
tion, and smelts easily. The furnaces, how- 
ever, are badly put up, and of poor materials. 

The Santa Eita mine furnishes some speci- 
mens of ore worth mentioning, from some 
small veins not yet worked. In the Santa 
Rita mountains are some old mines, which 
have been partially worked. In the valley of 
the Santa Cruz is the Sophori mine, in opera- 
tion, but of its richness I am uninformed. 
The " Sonora Mining Company of Arizona" 
own several old Spanish mines, and several 
new ones, and carry on mining on a larger 
scale than any company in the territory. They 
practise the barrel amalgamation process ; but 
I prefer the patio, which is more tedious, but 
gives a better return, and saves a large ex- 
pense in machinery, which is a good thing in 
a country where Mexicans are chiefly em- 
ployed, and where white labor is high. 



ARIZONA. 333 

All the southwestern part of Arizona shows 
signs of volcanic action. I may be holding a 
mistaken opinion, but I doubt the existence of 
any rich silver deposits at a great depth. All 
the characteristics of the country forbid such 
a belief, and none of the mines have yet sunk 
a shaft deep enough to contradict such an 
opinion as I have of the mineral resources of 
the country. Capitalists wishing to invest 
should leave no means untried of finding the 
true worth of ores, and the per cent, contained 
in them of gold, silver, or copper ; recollecting 
that the crucible assay will always give a 
greater return than the same ore yields when 
reduced in larger quantities. The poorer and 
richer ores should be proven by assaying them 
well in rather large masses, and a deduction 
made for the slags, which always contain some 
proportion of metal. The width of a vein 
should be ascertained, as well as its hardness, 
or the metal may chance to be not worth the 
extraction. In short, the cost of extraction 
must be compared with the per cent, yielded. 
As a general rule, I should prefer a mine with 
abundant poor ores to a rich one with a nar- 
row vein. Mines of the former class are to be 
found, but are not very common. Only those 



334 ARIZONA. 

who have practical knowledge should under- 
take silver mining. Machinery should never 
be employed except where it is necessary, and 
where fuel can be obtained readily ; otherwise, 
in the remote mining regions, it wdll prove 
very expensive. Intelligent white labor is 
hard to secure, and demands high wages ; 
therefore, where American genius can be 
brought to bear with Mexican plans and labor, 
the results are often of the best kind. For in- 
stance, the ancient furnaces, or " fundiciones," 
centuries old in plan, when a little altered and 
improved, are capable of rendering the most 
satisfactory returns. Merely scientific men 
should not be employed by companies wishing 
to mine, but those persons who from experience 
have become eminently practical. A great 
many failures have come from neglecting to 
observe this common-sense rule. 



APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX. 



PLAN OF A NATIONAL PACIFIC RAILROAD. 

I CHOOSE the most southern route possible, 
for reasons which will appear as I proceed. I 
shall not express any preference for either of 
the two routes east of El Paso — either that one 
coming from Memphis direct, or one coming 
by way of Austin and San Antonio, Texas, may 
be selected. But on the route west of El Paso 
1 must dwell at more length, being convinced 
that I do know the most favorable route to the 
Pacific, as well as the shortest and best pay- 
ing one. 

West of El Paso the country ofiers no obsta- 
cle to a railroad for two hundred miles, when 
it reaches the San Simona Pass. The road 
here should turn southeast, over a large plain. 
(Colonel Greg's route turns at Apache Pass, 
some forty miles farther west, and keeps on 
the side of the American line to San Diego, 
California.) From San Simona Pass, there are 



338 APPENDIX. 

forty or fifty miles of gradual descent, over the 
plain, until the road reaches San Bernardino 
Springs, the head waters of the Yagui river. 
At this point all the trade and produce of the 
Yagui branches, and the mineral wealth of 
this region would naturally centre. From San 
Bernardino the road would go a little south- 
west, around a high mountain, which here is 
the divide between the Sonora and San Pedro 
waters, coming from the southeast and stop- 
ping abruptly on the plain, leaving the San 
Pedro on the right and itself on the left, with 
a pass for the road between. Beyond the 
mountain the road will keep on over this 
plain, until it strikes, with a gentle decline, 
the head waters of the northwest prong of the 
Sonora river, which it will follow down, taking 
in all the rich mineral and agricultural regions 
of that river. 

Arriving at the junction, it will go on to 
Banerachi, Chinipas, Arispe, Senoguipe, Bana- 
michi, Huepaca, Guadalupe, Ures, Topahui, 
Hermosillo, and thence to Guaymas, either by 
the present stage route, or taking in the mining 
and farming country of Santa Bosalia, Subiate, 
San Jose de Pimos, and San Marcial. From 
San Marcial it might follow down the stream 



APPENDIX. 339 

to Gil ay mas, or, with a slight variation from a 
straight line, take in its course the mining and 
agricultural regions of the Lower Yagui val- 
ley. Guaymas being the chief port of the 
Gulf of California, it will gather business from 
all the smaller intermediate ports ; also from 
Lower California, Mazatlan, Culiacan, Sinaloa, 
Fuerte, and the Mayo valley. From all these 
points business will flow toward the port 
where the railroad terminates, and new life 
and vigor be infused into these rich but now 
lifeless countries. A steam communication 
from California would be easy, and of great 
importance to trade as well as to travel, which 
would find this route equally good in summer 
and winter. 

I do not claim accuracy in my estimate of 
distances ; but, having travelled over the 
whole route, I know it to be feasible. That 
it would pay better than a more northern 
route through a country miserably poor in 
mineral resources, and entirely devoid of agri- 
cultural lands, cannot be, for a moment, 
doubted. 

The vast deserts on both sides of the Colo- 
rado offer no inducement to aiiy outlay in that 
direction ; and the possibility of a yet more 



340 APPENDIX. 

southern route is not to be contemplated. 
South of San Bernardino the mountains are 
continuous, close together, steep, and with no 
passes where they can be avoided. It is 
true that there are several routes of travel now 
in use, but they are only trails for pack-mules, 
and hardly practicable at that. I may safely 
say that Durango and Chihuahua will never 
be connected with Mazatlan and Fuerte by 
railroad. They are separated by two hundred 
miles of ^high, impassable mountains. The 
great Sierra Madre mountains rise here in all 
their majesty in opposition to the enterprises 
of men. Or, were a road through these moun- 
tains possible, the expense of building it would 
not be repaid by a hundred years of travel and 
exchange. Should a road be built on either 
side, as it might be, there would still be one 
hundred and fifty miles which would require 
the services of pack-mules. 

From the Rio Grande to Chihuahua or Du- 
rango no obstacle exists, as the country is 
mostly formed in plains and table lands, with 
small ranges of hills, easily overcome. 



APPENDIX. 341 

PLAN OF A RAILROAD FROM GUAYMAS TO FUERTE 

VALLEY. 

This road to the mineral regions of the 
Fuerte valley, would leave Gnaymas and go to 
Old Guaymas, to Belen, and Toron on the 
Yagui, crossing the river to Bakan, Cocori, 
Navajoa on the Mayo, and thence to Alamos. 
From Alamos to San Antonio, and crossing 
the Cuchiagua creek to a chain of mountains, 
which would be passed through a canon of 
gradual ascent, after which a small ridge must 
be passed, and the descent made through an- 
other canon to the Fuerte river. Crossing the 
'TPuerte to Toro, and thence to Chois, the centre 
of a wealthy mineral and agricultural district, 
the road might terminate here, or send a 
branch to the city of Fuerte, and from there to 
the mouth of the river, where it might connect, 
by steamers on the gulf, with the other ports 
of Mexico and Lower California. 

ROAD FROM FUERTE TO MAZATLAN. 

There is no difficulty in the way of a road 
from Fuerte city to Ocoroni, a town of Sinaloa. 
Thence, crossing the Sinaloa river,, to Culiacan 



342 APPENDIX. 

on the Culiacan river, and passing over a. rich 
country, coming to the Cosala river, which 
must also he crossed, and thence to the San 
Ignacio. The country is generally undulating, 
with some small hills, which may he either 
levelled or avoided hy turns in the road. 

From Mazatlan, a road may connect with 
the Durango trade by running a road to old 
Mazatlan, thence to San Sebastian, thence to 
the foot of the mountains of Copala and Pan- 
neo, as these connect with the pack trains over 
the mountains, to a place where they intercept 
another road from Durango westward. 

From Culiacan, a branch might converge 
toward the mines, and another to Atlanta, on 
the gulf All these routes pass through agri- 
cultural countries unsurpassed by any in the 
world, which, at the same time, are rich in 
minerals. 

THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS. 

Taking the Rio Grande as a starting-point on 
the eastern side, the road might leave San An- 
tonio, Texas, going to old Fort Duncan, on the 
Rio Grande, thence to Piedras Negras, thence 
to Neva, thence to San Juan, thence to the 



APPENDIX. 343 

junction of the Sabine and Alamo streams, 
thence to Santa Rosa, thence to Monclova, 
thence to Parras, thence to Alamo de Parras, 
thence to Cuencame, and thence to the city of 
Durango. From Durango, a road may be 
made, for about eighty miles west, to the Co- 
jote station, to connect with the pack trains 
over the mountains to the Mazatlan line, be- 
low Copola and Panneo. 

Or, starting from San Antonio, southwest, 
to the Presidio de Rio Grande, thence to Santa 
Rosa, being only a slight deviation from the 
former route. 

From Mier, on the Rio Grande (two hun- 
dred and fifty miles above the mouth of the 
river), to Ceralvo, there is a good wagon-road 
even now ; also from Ceralvo to Marin, and 
thence to the city of Monterey, the capital of 
both Nueva Leon and Coahuila. From Mon- 
terey the road goes to Rinconad, thence to 
Saltillo, thence to Buena Vista, thence to San 
Juan de Yaccaria, thence to Ranches de los 
Murchachos, and thence to Parras. This route 
is an available one for a railroad. 

Or, there might be chosen the route from 
Matamoras, twenty-five miles above the mouth 
of the Rio Grande, to Los Torres, thence to Los 



B4A APPENDIX. 

Chinos, thence to* Cadeireta, thence to Monte- 
rey, thence to Saltillo, thence to Parras, 
thence to Cuencame, and thence to Durango, 
as ahove. 

From Parras to the city of Chihuahua is a 
fine wagon-road, well travelled. From Du- 
rango to Santiago Pescar, and on to Chihua- 
hua, is also a road, hut of very little utility. 

From Chihuahua a hranch road may go to 
Conception, thence to Los Bajos, and connect 
there with pack trains either to Guadalupe 
Calvo, and thence westward to Culiacan, or to 
Los Bajos, and thence to Jesus Maria, whence 
pack trains go over the mountains to Chois, in 
the Fuerte valley. 

The road from Chihuahua to Jesus Maria, 
thence to Chinipas, and thence to Alamos, is 
only fit for pack animals. From Chihuahua, a 
road may connect wdth El Paso on the Rio 
Grande, without difficulty, as the country here 
is high table-land. The road from Chihuahua 
to Cobre Grande, and thence to Arispe, is only 
fit for pack animals. . Chihuahua is the centre 
of an agricultural country of some extent, and 
has a valuable mining region to the west of it. 



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